Across North America, institutions and organizations are gearing up to support and celebrate 2022 North America Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, which runs from May 1 to 7. NAOSH Week is an international initiative focused on highlighting the importance of safety and health in all aspects of our lives.
¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ’s Health, Safety and Employee Well-Being (HSEWB) team in collaboration with Athletics & Recreation and Student Counselling Health and Well-Being is leading NAOSH efforts at the University. The team has put together an informative series of virtual events and proactive wellness sessions, a daily WORDLE puzzle challenge and will be offering a daily safety tip through on the .
This year’s York events are unique as most of the events are open to all community members. There is no charge for any of the events. One of the key goals for these events (in addition to having fun) is to raise awareness not only for staff and faculty, but also students who are either current employees at ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ or with other organizations.
The WORDLE puzzle challenge and daily safety tip will be posted each morning on . Solutions to the WORDLE puzzles will be provided the day following each new puzzle.
Community-wide virtual events
Tuesday, May 2, 11 a.m. to noon, offered as a Zoom Webinar
This event is open to all ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ community members. Integral yoga for the mind and body, the Yoga Retreat promotes holistic health, de-stress, and wellbeing by strengthening, increasing endurance, and stabilizing the mind, body and breathing. Move towards wellness in your own unique way through postures, breathing exercises, and a wide range of meditations. To register, please click .
Wednesday, May 3, 1 to 1:30 p.m., offered as a Zoom Webinar
This event is open to all ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ community members. Improve your focus, lower your stress and increase your productivity with mental fitness. Pause, relax and reflect as you exercise your brain and join in a short-guided meditation session. This webinar is provided by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety. To register, please click .
Thursday, May 4, 1 to 2 p.m., offered as a seminar (URL will be provided on registration)
This event is open to faculty and staff at ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ. Lifeworks will be providing a webinar on mental health awareness. In this seminar, participants will be encouraged to shatter popular myths and misconceptions about mental health and to increase their understanding of the causes and symptoms of mental disorders. To register, please click .
Friday, May 5, 11 a.m. to noon, offered as a seminar (URL will be provided on registration)
In support of NAOSH Week, Student Counselling, Health & Well-Being is providing a session on self-care. This session is open to all members who are interested in learning more about self-care in the workplace, self-assessments, and taking away some practical skills to manage stress. Participants will be given tools and resource to evaluate and support their own journey to better self-care. To register, please click .
NAOSH Week employee activities
In addition to the virtual events, participants can enjoy a series of NAOSH activities individually or feel free to partner up with a colleague. To add to the celebration HSEWB has some prizes that can be won by staff and faculty just by participating and submitting details about their completed activity participation along with a photo through the . All NAOSH activity forms and submissions are due on Friday, May 6 by 5 p.m.
NAOSH Week Safety Challenge
Participants will be asked to complete the NAOSH Week Safety Challenge and then fill in the for a chance to win one of many prizes. Participants can connect with their respective Joint Health and Committee (JHSC) member and/or Health and Safety Officer (HSO), and then stop by a health and safety board to find the answers. This activity will act to increase awareness regarding health and safety and the local representatives in and around campus that play a pivotal role in York’s overall health and safety program.
Health & Safety Exhibition – Put Your Safety Thinking Cap On!
Participants will be provided with a worker profile that outlines the worker’s primary duties and some of the potential hazards they may be exposed to. Based on information provided, participants will then have to think about what types of hazards the worker is exposed to and then provide some suggestions related to what types of measures can be implemented to protect the worker.
Health, Safety & Wellness Showcase
Participants are invited to share a picture of how they incorporate health, safety and/or wellness within their daily lives (at home or work) for a chance to win a prize. Pictures can include eating a healthy snack and/or lunch; wearing your mask; and/or show the number of daily steps taken.
Daily WORDLE puzzle challenge
Participants are invited to guess the WORDLE (a safety related word) within six (6) tries. Answers to the word challenge will be provided on the following day. The WORDLE puzzle link will be posted each day on the .
For questions, contact the HSEWB team by email at hsweb@yorku.ca or by phone at extension 55491.
More about NAOSH Week
Starting in 1997, NAOSH Week events and activities have been held in Canada, the United States and Mexico with the goal of focusing the attention of all individuals on injury and illness prevention in workplace, at home and in the community.
The NAOSH Week logo, three hands forming an equilateral triangle, represents cooperation and commitment among the many partners in health and safety. The logo symbolizes joint venture, cooperation and the commitment to the common goals shared by all occupational health and safety partners. It also showcases tripartite partnerships between business, labour and governments. The connected hands illustrate assistance and cooperation on many levels, from interpersonal relationships in the workplace to international exchange. In Canada, NAOSH Week is led by the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), who, work in partnership with many organizations to promote NAOSH Week events. NAOSH Week activities are coordinated across the country by committees, comprised mainly of volunteers, dedicated to raising awareness and reducing injuries and illnesses in workplaces and communities.