Edmonton... Over 75 individuals and organizations have been nominated for this year's Minister's Seniors Service Awards. This annual awards program recognizes the volunteer efforts of individual Albertans and organizations that make a difference in the lives of seniors.

"It is so important to celebrate the commitment and dedication of the many Albertans who support seniors," said Fred Horne, Minister of Health. "Every single day, people around our province remind us of the incredible volunteer spirit present here in Alberta."

Click here to view the bulletin and to view a list of nominees.

A task force is calling for Ontario's long-term-care homes to make the prevention of abuse and neglect their top priority in the year ahead.

The provincial Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety says that the people managing and working in these homes must ensure their organizations are committed to preventing abuse, both on paper and in practice.

In a new report issued Wednesday, the task force makes a series of recommendations for the province's long-term-care homes.

Click here to view the full article from CBC News.
Click here to visit the task force website and to access the report.

As the provincial economy heated up last year, the number of Albertans who died on work sites in various ways - everything from electrocutions and falling to being crushed by metal equipment - soared by 26 per cent.

However, statistics from the Alberta government also show the number of workers who died in motor-vehicle crashes while on the job remained flat, while the number of occupational disease deaths accepted by the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) dipped.

Overall, the official count of all 2011 workplace deaths - on job sites, in vehicle crashes and from long-term exposure to hazardous materials - totalled 123 people.

Click here to read full article.

NAOSH week is in full swing across Canada.  Check out this hilarious video provided by Hilton Suites Winnipeg...making safety fun!

New structure to change the way government does business
Edmonton... Premier Alison Redford has named a new Cabinet team that will help bring about the change that Albertans recently voted for.

“This restructuring is about achieving our goals and aligning our workforce with the priorities of this government,” Redford said. “This new Cabinet structure allows us to focus on the things that matter most to Albertans - a strong fiscal framework, caring for our most vulnerable citizens, promoting our resources, and solid consultation processes that ensure Albertans are heard.”

Click here to read the news release and to view Premier Redford's new cabinet team.

May 6-12, 2012, is North American Occupational Safety & Health (NAOSH) Week.  This year's theme is "Making it Work".

The goal of NAOSH Week is to focus the attention of employers, employees, the general public and all partners in occupational safety and health on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home and in the community. During NAOSH Week, NAOSH partners develop and implement activities throughout North America to promote NAOSH Week. NAOSH Week occurs every year during the first full week of May.

NAOSH Week presents an excellent opportunity to focus, reinforce and strengthen commitment to occupational safety and health. Participation and involvement in NAOSH Week has been shown to:

•  improve attitudes towards safety
• increase understanding of the importance of occupational safety and health
• foster a safety-minded culture
• increase cooperation
• assist in team building and improve communication between employees, safety committees
  and safety professionals.

NAOSH Week is led by the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE). More information about NAOSH Week can be found at www.naosh.ca or www.csse.org.

Calgary, Alberta, April 27, 2012 – Canadian employers have a new tool to protect the mental health of employees, with the launch today of Psychological Health and Safety: An Action Guide for Employers.

"The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and our partners who are working to promote mental health in Canada recognize the critical role our workplaces play in the psychological health of Canadians," says Louise Bradley, MHCC President and CEO. "The Action Guide offers immediate actions that employers can take to enhance the positive role that the workplace has in recovery and prevention."

Click here to read the news release and to obtain the free Action Guide.

April 28th, the National Day of Mourning, is a time for Canadians to remember those who have died at work, but the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) says with fatality rates on the rise, it is also a time to realize the need for change.

Data from the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada shows that worker fatalities have been increasing since 1993, when there were a total of 758 fatalities across the country, to 1,014 last year — almost three people every day. There have been more than 16,000 worker fatalities since 1993.

Click here to read more.