February 2022
Safe Workplace
ACCESSING PROGRAM BENEFITS
Employers operating in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories now have access to the Safe Workplace program on WSCC Connect! Follow these three steps to view your organization’s status:

  1. Make sure anyone in charge of safety at your organization has a user account on WSCC Connect.
  2. Your organization’s WSCC Connect Access Administrator needs to assign the Safe Workplace role to any required user accounts in your organization.
  3. Log into your WSCC Connect user account, and navigate to the Safe Workplace Dashboard to see your organization’s status.

From the Safe Workplace Dashboard, download your Safe Workplace or Advanced Safe Workplace certificate and digital badge, which can be displayed on your website, in email signatures, or shared on social media. Be sure to tag us @WSCCNTNU.

Not listed as a Safe Workplace yet?

If you have not completed your organization’s Annual Payroll Report (APR), which is due February 28 annually, your organization’s Safe Workplace status will not yet be updated. Work with your payroll specialist to provide accurate Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) information for Section Four of the APR.

If after filing your APR report you are still not listed as a Safe Workplace, you can check your Safe Workplace Dashboard to see which criteria you meet and which you have not met yet. Your Access Administrator, or users assigned the Safe Workplace role, can update the OHS questions as your safety program is developed. Email the WSCC today if you have questions about Safe Workplace criteria, or how you can improve your company’s safety program.

Hiring a contractor?

Don’t forget, you can visit the Search Safe Workplace Employers tab to find Nunavut and NWT employers that meet the Safe Workplace program criteria. This information is updated daily, so if a business is listed as a Safe Workplace or Advanced Safe Workplace, you know that they have a good safety record.

For more information and frequently asked questions, visit the Safe Workplace program page of our website or contact the WSCC today.

Remember! A Safe Workplace certificate does not replace a WSCC clearance letter. If you are awarded or are awarding a contract, please obtain a WSCC clearance letter by clicking here.
Resource Feature
UPDATED THERMAL CONDITIONS CODE OF PRACTICE
Winter in the north means a risk of cold temperature injuries and illnesses. Whether working outdoors or just commuting to and from your place of work, it is important to prepare for the temperatures. Frostnip, hypothermia, windburn, and other cold weather injuries can occur quickly in these temperatures, so it is essential that every northerner is aware of the signs, symptoms, and how to prevent a cold injury from happening.

Common cold weather hazards could include:

  • Touching cold equipment or frozen metal, which can be prevented with gloves rated for the weather conditions;
  • Risk of slipping due to icy conditions, which requires proper footwear for the conditions; and,
  • Impaired vision from eyewear fogging up due to face coverings, which can be reduced with anti-fog coating on lenses.

NEW features of the Thermal Conditions Code of Practice

The Thermal Conditions Code of Practice still has all of the information employers, supervisors, and workers need to understand the risks around cold weather, recognize the symptoms of cold weather injuries, and important tips and information on preventing an injury from occurring. The WSCC has recently updated the Code to add new information for northern employers, including:

  • Real examples and statistics of northern temperatures and weather conditions.
  • Time limits for working safely in a range of common northern temperatures.
  • Body temperatures and signs and symptoms that will help you identify stages of hypothermia.
  • Lists of PPE that will prevent cold injuries in northern temperatures.

Cold safety information is essential. For a summary of safety tips for working in the cold, see our Toolbox Safety Talk on Cold Stress, or contact the WSCC today if you would like help developing procedures for your workplace for working in cold weather.
Safety Spotlight 
PROTECTING YOUR HANDS FROM FROSTBITE
Have you ever popped outside to do something quickly, forgetting to put on the appropriate outerwear? Perhaps when you come back inside, your hands are moving a little slower than normal, or a different color than normal, and feeling a little numb or with “pins and needles.” These are signs of a cold injury, frostbite, or frost nip. When you see low temperatures for months on end, it is easy to become too relaxed. However, it is essential that we are always careful and protect ourselves from cold temperatures, as injury can happen very quickly.

Protect yourself

Here are some tips to protecting your hands from a cold weather injury:

  • Always be aware of the temperature, and dress for the conditions. Wear gloves rated for northern temperatures.
  • If your gloves get wet, change them immediately.
  • Ensure that you are taking a break from the cold in warmed shelters, trucks, etc.
  • Drink warm, high calorie beverages to help your body with cold resistance.

Treatment

If you notice that you are experiencing signs and symptoms of a cold weather injury, here are some things you can do:

  • Protect yourself from further injury by finding a warm area or putting on additional clothing layers, if available.
  • Find someone with first aid certification to assist you.
  • Warm the affected area with body heat, but do not rub.
  • Seek medical attention.

For more information on frostbite or frostnip, or any other hand injuries, visit the Safety Spotlight feature page of our website.
Deadline: Annual Payroll Report 
Submit your Annual Payroll Report (APR) today through WSCC Connect. The deadline is February 28, 2022. Remember, you must submit an APR even if you are reporting zero (0) payroll. The penalty for late submission is 15% of your previous year’s employer payroll assessment.

Section 4 of the APR has Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) questions that will impact your organization’s status with the Safe Workplace Program. Discuss the answers with your organization’s OHS professional before you submit.

We’re here to help! Visit the WSCC Connect Help page, or contact an employer services member in your territory at:

  • Nunavut: 1-877-404-4407 or by email.
  • Northwest Territories: 1-800-661-0792 or by email.
Reminder: First Aid Legislation Changes
NWT Employers should now be in compliance with the updated First Aid Legislation requirements. The legislation changes impacted the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulations, Part 5 – First Aid.

Nunavut Employers have until February 12th, 2022 to meet the updated legislative requirements.

To learn more, visit the First Aid page of our website.
Changes to Assessment Payment Due Dates
Assessment payments are now due one day earlier than in previous years. If you are paying by installments and make payments by pre-authorized credit card debits or post-dated cheques, please review your payment method to ensure it is up-to-date. Payments can be submitted through WSCC Connect.

Assessment Payment Due Dates:

  • March 31 (Previously April 1)
  • May 31 (Previously June 1)
  •  July 31 (Previously August 1)
  • September 30 (Previously October 1)

For more information about employer assessments, see Policy 02.01: Employer Assessments available on the Policy Manual page of our website.
Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut,
5022 49th Street, 5th Floor, Centre Square Tower, Box 8888, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2R3 Canada