OHC often undertakes projects with specific communities of workers. These projects are time-limited and aim to address a unique issue facing these worker communities. Previous work has included:
Stories of Newcomer Workers in Food Processing
Between 2015 and 2019, OHC worked with newcomer workers in the Food Processing industry in the Westman Region of Manitoba. These projects were supported by grants from the Research and Workplace Innovation Program of the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba.
The initial project, First Language Health & Safety Training for Newcomer Workers, was based on OHC’s success with our Cross Cultural Community Development Program. In 2015, OHC began work training 14 community members from five different cultural communities who delivered workshops on health & safety rights and resources in their own languages to workers in the food processing industry in Brandon and Neepawa. The resulting report, Newcomer Worker Voices Matter: Learning from the Group Story, was published in July 2016.
In 2017, OHC continued this work with another project involving the formation and delivery of two Occupational Health Support Groups for newcomer food processing workers in their own language. Through this project, 25 workers from the Eritrean and Chinese communities participated in these support groups in their own language. Out of this work came this collection of stories Building Support for Newcomer Workers in the Food Processing Industry that details the migration and work stories of newcomer workers in this industry, as well as their concerns, hopes and dreams. OHC has made 21 recommendations in this report to improve the health and well-being of newcomer workers in the food processing industry.
Wings of Change: Indigenous Workers Education and Outreach Project
A three-year initiative teaching health and safety rights through the lens of the Seven Sacred Teachings. We have archived the full toolkit, containing background information and resources that are intended to be incorporated as part of Sharing Circles. Each section includes a workshop plan with both the learning activity and resources available to support each activity. If you would like access to the full suite of resources, please fill out the form below.
Resources for Childcare Workers
When a local child care centre was confronted with a growing number of staff injuries it turned to the Occupational Health Centre (OHC) for assistance and information to develop a program to address health, safety and wellness in the workplace. For access to a video and specific resources on ergonomic techniques for working with children, please fill out the form below.