SPOTLIGHT
Soteria Strains
Soteria Strains is a provincially funded project focused on musculoskeletal (MSI) injury prevention.  The project has the potential to improve safety and promote a culture of safety and well-being within the health system.  
 
Nova Scotia's District Health Authorities and the IWK, Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, and AWARE-NS, the Nova Scotia Health and Community Services Safety Association have partnered to move the project forward, working collaboratively to support the goal of lowering workplace injuries in health care and helping to ensure more people return home safely at the end of each workday.  
 
Take a look around our newsletter for key updates on Soteria's progress-to-date as well as future engagement opportunities via webinar.

Musculoskeltal Injuries

News, Tools, Resources
Soteria Strains: 
Guiding Principles
Article By: Mark Williams 
Change in practice will be required to decrease the risks associated with handling patients in healthcare settings.   The guiding principles agreed upon were collaboration, integration, evidence based, sustainability, concurrent activities, and people centred/cost effective/resource wise. 
Soteria Strains:
Webinar 
Re-Broadcast
Did you miss the introduction webinar to Soteria Strains? Watch the re-broadcast on our YouTube Channel now! Just click the 'WATCH' button to get started. 
 
Every time we post a new video on our YouTube Channel, an email notice automatically goes out to our subscribers.  Be the first in line to view our latest videos. 
Musculoskeletal Injuries  
Toolkit - NEW!
We have recently developed a toolkit that focuses on safe patient handling programs and other MSI prevention resources. Please take a moment to review the toolkit. Did we miss you? If you have a resource to include in this toolkit, please email

Soteria Strains: 

Injury Prevention Strategy

Article By: Mark Williams

In 2012 The Worker's Compensation Board (WCB) presented to the DHA's/IWK a problem. In essence the problem can be described: 

80% of time loss claims, in Healthcare, reported to the WCB are strains and sprains (AKA musculoskeletal injuries [MSIs], repetitive strain injuries [RSIs], cumulative trauma injuries [CMIs] and soft tissue injuries [STIs]). Of those about half are associated with patient handling activities.

Continue Reading
Soteria Strains: 
Opinion Poll
Tell Us What You Think! 
The intent of branding the MSI prevention program as Soteria is to help facilitate engagement and recognition of processes.  As lessons are learned and passed along we hope that Soteria will become synonymous with provincial safety initiatives with a strong emphasis on engagement, research, and evidence based practice. So what do you think about Soteria as a brand? 
Back Injuries, Sprains, and Strains
Article By: WCB NS 

Back injuries are the number one type of workplace injury in Nova Scotia. And they are 100 per cent avoidable.

Over 2,000 Nova Scotians suffer a serious back injury on the job every year, accounting for 30 per cent of all lost time injuries and costing millions annually. Every single back injury can be avoided. Click To Read


Let's Talk....
We All Have a Role to Play

Special Event

EVENT POSTPONED

 

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of AWARE-NS, I regret to inform you that a difficult decision has been taken to postpone our 'Let's Talk' Forum.  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

 

As you know, the intention of the Forum was to bring together representatives from government, business, unions, as well as front-line workers to share ideas on how we can strengthen the culture of safety in our health and community services workplaces.

Although there is real value in this consultative process, and your views are of critical  importance to us, we have found that several conflicting schedules amongst our stakeholder groups has not allowed for maximum participation at this time.

 

We look forward to gathering at a future time and will advise accordingly.

 

Sincerely,

 

Mary-Lou MacDonald,

CEO, AWARE-NS

 

Original Event Details

 

 

AWARE-NS, the Nova Scotia Health and Community Services Safety Association, wants your input. Come join us for an important discussion about health and safety issues in the healthcare and community services sector.  How do we make the Safety Strategy's vision - Nova Scotia being the safest place to work in Canada - a reality?  Download A Workplace Safety Strategy For Nova Scotians 2013 - 2017

 

3 Ways to Have Your Voice Heard!   

 

Let's Talk...
The Forum

AWARE-NS is bringing together senior leaders and representatives from the health and community services sector, government, business, unions, and other important stakeholder groups.  

 

 

Hear thought-provoking ideas presented by panelists. Participate in small group discussions on strengthening the culture of safety in our workplaces.

 

The forum is by invitation only.  If you have not already received an invitation but would like to attend, or know someone who should attend, please contact [email protected].

 




Let's Talk...
Twitter Event

AWARE-NS is offering you the opportunity to participate LIVE in the forum - even if you are unable to attend the event in person. 

AWARE-NS will be tweeting speaker highlights from the forum and between 10:30am and 11:30am, anyone who is participating in the Twitter Event will be able to tweet their responses to the questions asked by the forum facilitator.  All participant tweets will be captured by the forum facilitator - in real time - for the report.





 
Let's Talk...
Video Workshop
 
AWARE-NS will be recording segments of the forum. The video will guide viewers through the agenda and workshop components. Viewers will be asked to record their feedback and send it to AWARE-NS via email.  Deadline for feedback will be Monday, December 8th, 2013

The video will be posted on the AWARE-NS website after the forum event:  Monday, November 25th. Stakeholders will be informed via email when the video is available for viewing.  
 
Want to be the first in line to view the video?






More AWARE-NS News

New Courses
E-Campus

 
Pandemic Influenza
This course explains what pandemic influenza is and what employers need to know regarding their responsibilities and the impact it could have on the workplace.  It also explains what you can do to reduce the risk of exposure and outbreak in the workplace.
 
Workplace Hazards:
Identification, Assessment, Control
This course describes workplace hazards, the health and safety risks posed by those hazards, and the step-by-step process which must be followed in order to identify, assess and control hazards in the workplace.
 

Board Meetings
Highlights

 
Board Meeting Held October 10th, 2013
Review the highlights of the meeting discussions including Corporate, Governence, CEO Report and New Business.



Industry News


Careers

Events
Save The Date

December 3-6, 2013
March 26, 27 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014





Links In The News
Occupational Health & Safety

 
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