Worksafe BC confused about infectious diseases

[dumpthemonarchy]

I saw the following Worksafebc.com poster in a washroom in a medical clinic in Vancouver. It shows a woman washing her hands in a washroom. It states in the first line of the paragraph.

"Infectious diseases are the leading causes of death and illnesses worldwide."

http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/health_and_safety/posters/assets/pdf/hand_washing_poster_small.pdf

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Worksafe BC is spreading health misinformation because, in fact, according to this article from the CBC at

CBC News - Canada - Cancer, heart disease lead causes of death

The top ten causes of death in Canada are

1. cancer
2. heart disease
3. stroke
4. chronic lower respiratory diseases
5. accidental causes
6. diabetes
7.alzheimers disease
8. influenza and pneumonia
9. kidney disease
10. suicide

Infectious diseases do not make the list. What is a danger in the world is not in Canada. Therefore, this poster is misinformation and an explanation is required from worksafebc.com.

The mandate of Worksafe BC is the province of British Columbia, which is within Canada. Worksafe BC has no mandate, they get no taxes from any corporation based in Asia or Africa so they ought not to worry about the big world. Worksafe only gets funding from coporations within British Columbia.

Perhaps worksafebc.com feel they are being "global" here. But they are generating needless fear, or perhaps is reflecting fear of the media. You can be sure, in much of Asia and Africa, they don't wash their hands as often as they should, and people die from many gruesome infectious diseases there.


Even below, from WHO, infectious diseases don't dominate the death list for the world.

WHO | The top 10 causes of death

 

[gerryh]

actually, number 8 for Canada would be the infectious disease that worksafe is talking about.

 

[petros]

Infectious diseases are the leading causes of death and illnesses worldwide."
...you just give death stats.

There is one disease that you've probably never heard but should be very very cautious about. It has killed two people that I knew personally and almost a third but 2 weeks of chemotherapy got it in time.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Antimicrobial Resistance

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

actually, number 8 for Canada would be the infectious disease that worksafe is talking about.

Right, I missed that. But it's only about 1%. Not high.

Infectious diseases are the leading causes of death and illnesses worldwide."
...you just give death stats.

There is one disease that you've probably never heard but should be very very cautious about. It has killed two people that I knew personally and almost a third but 2 weeks of chemotherapy got it in time.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Antimicrobial Resistance

Illnesses, yes the fear. You don't die, you just don't feel well. Hard to count. Worksafe BC has got to provide some evidence here.

There are some dangerous infectious diseases out there.

 

[gerryh]

:roll:

you do realize that this is just one small part of WCB's education program. Right?

 

[bill barilko]

Worksafe BC is a world class clown show-one of my fishing partners used to work there-the stories he tells are hilarious/horrifying-depending on your POV.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

:roll:

you do realize that this is just one small part of WCB's education program. Right?

It does not matter that it is only one "small" part, they are bogus. This is not education.

They are seen by the general public in provincial health care clinics. They ought to take down these posters.

 

[gerryh]

Washing your hands frequently is an EXCELENT way to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases such as influenza and reduce lost revenue through sick days.

 

[damngrumpy]

Do you realize work safe is confused about a lot of things including what danger means. They chase
rabbits rather than solve problems. Yes they do good work in some cases but in most cases they are
about the process not actually solving the problem

 

[gerryh]

Do you realize work safe is confused about a lot of things including what danger means. They chase
rabbits rather than solve problems. Yes they do good work in some cases but in most cases they are
about the process not actually solving the problem

The complaint in the OP is about a program that is looking at the problem and a way to solve it.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

The flu season comes whether people wash their hands or not. Same for SARS and AIDS. What this means is that worksafe has too much staff due to confusion over their mandate. They are supposed to help workers when injured, not worry about Asia or Africa.

 

[gerryh]

The flu season comes whether people wash their hands or not. Same for SARS and AIDS. What this means is that worksafe has too much staff due to confusion over their mandate. They are supposed to help workers when injured, not worry about Asia or Africa.

Oh........ My........ God.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Worksafe BC needs to tear down these useless posters and explain their misguided actions. But they have these posters I think because it is women these days who worry so much about being clean. Men don't worry about so much, like so much these days, it is more political than actual. Think of all those people who have come from Asia and Africa to Canada over the decades where sanitation is not an everyday topic. A governmental urban myth. Womanly fear.

 

[karrie]

They said it's the leading cause of death world wide, and your stats prove that with it being the leading cause of death in low income countries, which comprise the majority of the world's population.

So what?

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

They said it's the leading cause of death world wide, and your stats prove that with it being the leading cause of death in low income countries, which comprise the majority of the world's population.

So what?

The what is that Worksafebc is teling people about a problem that doesn't exist to the seriousness here like it does in low income countries. Did people die of infectious diseases twenty years ago in Canada before the handwashing hysteria broke out? No. Why didn't they make of list of these terrible diseases? It becomes rumour.

 

[TenPenny]

The what is that Worksafebc is teling people about a problem that doesn't exist to the seriousness here like it does in low income countries. Did people die of infectious diseases twenty years ago in Canada before the handwashing hysteria broke out? No.

You're now claiming that people didn't die of infectious diseases in Canada 20 years ago?

And you're accusing worksafeBC of spreading false information?

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

You're now claiming that people didn't die of infectious diseases in Canada 20 years ago?

And you're accusing worksafeBC of spreading false information?

People died and die of infectious diseases in Canada, but not at an alarming rate. When did it happen? You have to get some facts to justify your statement. Names, dates, etc. Worksafebc isdoing "preventative" advertising, and yes, it is misinformation because they have no mandate to worry about the world. They can do nothing about Sudan or Chad.

 

[petros]

Do you work with food by any chance DtM? Please let me know where so I can avoid eating there.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Do you work with food by any chance DtM? Please let me know where so I can avoid eating there.

Show me a list of the places in Canada or BC where epidemics have broken out.

 

[karrie]

Show me a list of the places in Canada or BC where epidemics have broken out.

Fecal contamination from improper hand washing has been linked to tons of localized outbreaks such as Norwalk, which can easily kill elderly or immune compromised people.