Occ-COVID Year 5: Pandemic Prep: New Risk Assessment & IAQ Solutions

Prevention Strategies in Public Settings: The Clean Indoor Air Act
and more...

EXPERT SPEAKERS • LIVE Q&A SESSION

“COVID-19 has killed over 53,000 Canadians, . . . The probability of another pandemic occurring within one’s lifetime is roughly 38 percent and may even grow to an extraordinary 76 percent within the next few decades, . . .and per WHO, respiratory pathogens such as COVID and influenza will likely be the cause . . . due to their high mutation rates and transmissibility” (Public Policy Forum, 2023).

Layered prevention strategies in public congregate settings, using tools to assess risk, monitor, and clean air, are critical for future health.

Recorded Friday, June 14, 2024 from 1:30 - 3:00 pm

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released the Airborne Risk Indoor Assessment Tool(ARIA) and stated in the supporting publication " One of the learnings from this pandemic has been that we must reshape and redesign the building environment, while focusing on optimizing indoor ventilation and therefore, the air we breathe" (WHO 2024).

ASHRAE Standard 241, "Control of Infectious Aerosols", now provides requirements to clean the air. Using carbon dioxide monitoring “real time” as a surrogate to assess the quality of the air, will further indicate triggers and interventions required to clean the air.

In addition, researchers from the University of Bristol have shown how carbon dioxide increases a virus's lifetime in the air. Plus, Ambient carbon dioxide concentration correlates with SARS-CoV-2 aero stability and infection ris k (Haddrell et al. 2024).And with global warming it is more important than ever that we monitor indoors, CO2, temperature and humidity.

As interventions are assessed, more attention is being given to upper air UV to disinfect the air, which if done safely can independently add another air cleaning method to the space.

This webinar, hosted by Kevin Hedges CIH, COH will discuss the recent WHO risk assessment, and how important it is to monitor indoor air for CO2, temperature and humidity.

We are also excited to have Joey Fox PEng, return. Joey is chair of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OPSE), Indoor Air Quality Advisory Group. He will cover ensuring good indoor air quality, mitigating airborne diseases with ASHRAE 241 and use of UV.

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PREVIOUS (RECORDED)

Friday March 15, 1:30pm - 3:00pm EST

Occ-COVID Year 5: Managing Mask Madness - Benefits, Challenges & Solutions

A key tool in the fight against aerosol hazards, but much maligned and misunderstood. Review latest research, controversy & new CSA standard

Covid has waned again after a seasonal surge, yet other respiratory diseases are hanging on, and the next variant climb might be just around the corner. The pandemic certainly is not over, and continues to impact workplaces large and small. Masks and respirators have been key tools in worker protection and infection control for decades, yet they have become objects of ridicule and extensive mis-information.

They remain important for personal protection and source control, and we need to understand their efficacy and use parameters to maximize their effectiveness in our illness prevention toolkit.

Join new guest, Dr. Mark Ungrin (an interdisciplinary biomedical researcher and associate professor at the University of Calgary) as he frames his Scientific American opinion piece: Masks Work. Distorting Science to Dispute the Evidence Doesn’t, .the science of respirator value in illness prevention and the challenges we face in implementing them as an effective control amidst the noise and fatigue.

Then welcome back popular past speaker, respirator scientist Dr. Simon Smith, as he introduces the draft of CSA Standard Z94.4 Selection, use and care of respirators (New Edition) that is currently posted for public comment. It has been updated to incorporate insights from the Covid experience, and is open for feedback until Monday, March 18th. Learn about the fundamentals of the standard, the key proposed changes, its application to workplaces and then provide input if you so desire.

They will be hosted by OHCOW Occupational Hygienist, Dr. Kevin Hedges

For more information and past events in the Occ-COVID series visit: https://www.ohcow.on.ca/events/occ-covid-webinar-series/

Visit OHCOW's website for many still useful Covid Prevention resources including a Ventilation calculation tool and Checklist plus Mask Smart and Respirator Infographics

And Contact Us for more information about, and assistance in, protecting workers and workplaces from this deadly and pervasive occupational disease.

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PREVIOUS (Recorded)

Tuesday, January 30, 1:30pm - 3:00pm EST

Occ-COVID Year 5: Health/care Impact & Lessons and 2024 Work/place Choices

Reviewing recent medical experience & research, plus field-tested prevention strategies, to support individual & organizational well-being

Surging again, the ever-present SARS CoV-2 virus (and its endless mutations and "wicked" complexity of disease) seem impossible to solve. But understanding the personal and societal impact can drive a perspective shift that allows each of us to find and implement transmission control and harm mitigation strategies that can make a difference in our home, work and recreational activities.

Join past guest, Emergency Medicine specialist (and RavenApp & Masks4Canada founder) Dr. Kashif Pirzada (@kashprime), as he shares his experience, understanding and critical knowledge translation skills to provide the latest information on COVID-19 health impacts, immune susceptibility, and effective solutions for one and all.

He will be joined by famed clean air conscious chef and restauranteur Franz Hochholdinger of the Apricot Tree Cafe, which has made it their business to protect customers and staff (as well as set an industry-leading example), who will share his experience in auditing, gearing up, and monitoring the IAQ in their restaurant.

They will be hosted by OHCOW Occupational Hygienist, Dr. Kevin Hedges

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RECORDED WEBINAR

Friday October 6, 2023

Unwrapping the complexity and variety of factors affecting risk of acute and chronic impacts in the context of workplace prevention strategy

Researchers at McMaster University have found that rather than conferring immunity against future infections, infection during the first Omicron wave of COVID left the seniors they studied much more vulnerable to reinfection during the second Omicron wave.“We found that some individuals had normal immune responses after the first infection, while others had very low levels of protective antibodies, which we believe was one contributing factor to why they got reinfected,” says Dr. Dawn Bowdish, who is corresponding author of the study published in eClinicalMedicine, an open-access journal by The Lancet.The researchers urge people not to assume immunity from a prior Omicron infection and to remain vigilant to prevent further spread of the virus.“This research highlights the need for continued vigilance and underscores the importance of ongoing preventive measures against COVID-19, says Bowdish.

Join Professor Bowdish, PhD as she discusses her research and what else is currently known about individual and age group immune susceptibility (and how it can be applied to workplace prevention) with OHCOW host, Cheryl Rook, RN, COHN(C), COHN-S, CRSP, DOHS, an Occupational Health Nurse from the Central Ontario Clinic in Toronto

View Recording

For more information and past events in the Occ-COVID series visit: https://www.ohcow.on.ca/events/occ-covid-webinar-series/

Visit OHCOW's website for many still relevant Covid Prevention resources including a Ventilation calculation tool and Checklist

And Contact Us for more information about, and assistance in, protecting workers and workplaces from this deadly and pervasive occupational disease.

AGENDA

Introduction – Collaboration for A Clean Air Future – Amanda Hu (member of the Canadian Covid-19 School Safety Group)
Australian Experience & Guidance for Primary and Secondary Schools – Brad Prezant, Affil. AIRAH, MSPH, MBA, CIH, COH, CAQP, WELL AP Principal Consultant at Prezant Environmental. Former VP, International Society of Indoor Air Climate and Quality (ISIAQ).
Still Wandering in the Woods – Staff impacts and opportunities, Paul Sylvestre, National Health & Safety Rep, Ontario Region, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
The basics of what we all need to know to stay safe into the fall -ASHRAE 241 Part 6, Joey Fox P. Eng. @O_S_P_E IAQ Advisory Group Chair. http://itsairborne.com
How can we make it happen? – 2023 School Safety Advocacy Efforts and Ideas Amanda Hu and other members of the Canadian Covid-19 School Safety Group
Discussion -- All

The event will be hosted by: Kevin Hedges, Ph.D, CIH, COH, Occupational Hygienist, OHCOW Eastern Region/Ottawa Clinic

Register today to join the conversation!

The Conversation will be recorded and streamed on FaceBook.

LATEST RECORDED WEBINAR:

Occ-COVID Conversation: Understanding Post-COVID-19 Condition in Canada

DATE: Friday June 23, 1:30 - 3:00 pm

PHAC Chief Science Officer reports what we know, don’t know, and a framework for action: Research, Patient/Family Support & Preparedness

Excerpts from the Report Executive Summary and accompanying letter released March 9, 2023:

As we continue to battle the SARS-CoV-2 virus at a time of widespread collective pandemic fatigue, we now know that COVID-19 manifests as an acute and, for many, a chronic illness. According to Statistics Canada, as of October 2022, 1.4 million adults in Canada have experienced or are experiencing the long-term symptoms of COVID-19. With the pandemic and the virus still spreading, many more Canadians are likely to be affected.

The lingering complex symptoms experienced by a significant number of COVID-19 survivors weeks after infection, "long Covid" or post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) is not a homogeneous disease. Individuals suffer from a wide spectrum of symptoms and conditions ranging from well-defined medical entities, like hypertension and cardiac arrhythmia, to broad or medically undefined symptoms such as cognitive problems (“brain fog”), exhaustion, chronic pain and fatigue.

The impact of PCC goes beyond health. PCC affects the ability to work and perform daily tasks, creating considerable consequences for individuals and communities as well as broader socio-economic impacts.

In Canada, as in other countries, the health care system has been pushed beyond its limits by the pandemic. PCC stands to add further strain on the system due to the increasing number of people requiring health care access due to this new chronic condition. At the same time, a significant number of health care providers are experiencing PCC, which complicates the system as they have difficulty performing their professional duties and seek health care themselves.

We are all in this together. Pandemic management must address the health and socio-economic effects of SARS-COV-2 infection as a continuum over time.

What can we do in workplaces to recognize, assess and control the hazards that contribute to COVID-19 infection and prevent and mitigate the associated harm?

Join the conversation to learn and share experiences and ideas.

Guest Speaker:

Dr. Sarah Viehbeck,
Chief Science Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada and Member, Chief Science Advisor of Canada’s Task Force on Post-COVID-19 Condition

Hosted by: Kevin Hedges, Ph.D, CIH, COH, Occupational Hygienist, OHCOW Eastern Region/Ottawa Clinic

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Occ-COVID Year 5: Pandemic prep – New Risk Assessment & Clean Air Solutions

June 2024 Occ-covid webinar discusses clean air in public places, and the WHO Risk Assessment, and more. With Engineer Joey Fox.