Speciality Consulting
Jasmine Kalsi, Occupational Hygienist
Jasmine Kalsi is an experienced Occupational Hygienist at IHSA. She joined the organization in 2022.
A Registered Occupational Hygienist (ROH) certified by the Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists, Jasmine holds a bachelor of science in chemistry from Simon Fraser University and a master of science in occupational and environmental hygiene from the University of British Columbia. With over seven years of experience in the occupational health and safety field, she has developed expertise in the construction, manufacturing, and health-care sectors, applying her knowledge to help create safer, healthier work environments.
Air Quality Assessments
Within the construction, transportation, and utilities sectors, workers are often exposed to a variety of airborne dusts and contaminants. These dusts and contaminants can potentially have short-term and long-term health effects. Ontario Regulation 833 lists out the occupational exposure limits (OELs) for a variety of chemical and biological agents. It is the responsibility of the employer to take measures to limit the exposure of workers to these hazardous agents.
Carrying out an air quality exposure assessment can allow you to determine the level of risk against hazardous biological and chemical agents. This type of assessment can also allow you to validate existing controls, or give reason to improve or implement additional controls.
Examples of the types of contaminants that can be tested include respirable crystalline silica, total dust, respirable dust, isocyanates, welding fumes, carbon monoxide, etc.
To schedule a scoping meeting for an air quality assessment, contact Jasmine Kalsi, ROH: jkalsi@ihsa.ca.
Noise Exposure Assessment
Noise is one of the most common occupational health hazards. Over time, if worker exposure to noise is not properly controlled, it may cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), a leading cause of occupational disease in Ontario workplaces. Ontario Regulation 381 describes the legal responsibilities of the employer for protecting workers from noise hazards. An employer must ensure that a worker is not exposed to noise levels above 85 dBA Lex daily.
Carrying out a noise exposure assessment can allow you to determine the level of risk for noise exposure for your workers. A noise exposure assessment can also allow you to validate existing controls, and confirm whether or not additional controls are needed.
To schedule a scoping meeting for a noise assessment, contact Jasmine Kalsi, ROH: jkalsi@ihsa.ca.
Peter Vi, Ergonomist
Peter Vi is an Ergonomist at IHSA, where he specializes in preventing musculoskeletal disorders in high-risk industries. With over a decade of experience, Peter has led innovative ergonomic initiatives that improve workplace safety and efficiency. He’s a respected voice in the field and an advocate for practical, worker-focused solutions.
Ergonomic Assessment
The purpose of an ergonomic assessment is to help you understand the connection between people and their work environment. The assessment can help improve work quality, productivity, and profitability by triggering the change of certain processes and work practices.
Ergonomic assessments are valuable when a problem has been recognized and the company is willing to solve it. Some of the common reasons a firm may benefit from an ergonomic assessment include having injured or symptomatic workers or reports of employees having difficulties when performing a particular job task. An ergonomic assessment may also be useful if a company is planning a large equipment purchase or workspace redesign.
NOTE
The time required to conduct the assessment depends on firm size and complexity.
Job Demands Analysis
Having a detailed Job Demands Analysis (JDA) for each type of position within your organization is valuable because of its many applications. Here is a list of some of the applications of a JDA.
- Determining potential job modifications in the event of a worker suffering an occupational injury or illness
- Assisting with pre-employment screening
- Assisting with claims management (WSIB appeals, disputes regarding work-relatedness of an injury, questions of job suitability, etc.)
- Acts as a good screening tool to help identify where to start with ergonomic interventions
A JDA is conducted through observing the job at hand and informal interviews with the worker. The analysis covers all of the demands on the worker, including essential duties and non-essential duties, physical demands, cognitive demands, perceptual demands, shift work issues, environmental impact, equipment interaction, workstation/work parameters, and social interactions.
NOTE
The time required to conduct the analysis depends on firm size and complexity.
Symptom Survey
Symptoms Surveys are designed to gain a better understanding of any pain or discomfort that workers may experience during their workday. This type of information can help an organization identify potential problem work areas before lost-time, medical, or first-aid claims develop. It also helps identify workstations or job tasks that may need changes. If conducted before and after, Symptoms Surveys can help an organization evaluate the success of any new implementations.
Kathy Martin, Mental Health and Wellness Specialist
Kathy Martin is IHSA’s mental health and wellness specialist, working with the Research, Stakeholder, and Public Relations team. With over 20 years of experience in the field of workplace mental health and addictions, she has consulted with countless organizations across Canada.
Kathy was part of the technical committee with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) that built the first ever standard for psychological health and safety over a decade ago. Later, she co-chaired the psychological health and safety standard for paramedic organizations.
Kathy remains actively involved with the CSA. She also leads a system-wide occupational health and safety project for the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development (MLITSD) that aims to reduce opioid-related harms in the workplace.