Over the past 2 months at my new job there have been several safety concerns that I don’t believe are going to be resolved

There are not enough monitors for each person, since I got there every morning is a fight for monitors, if you don’t get one? That sucks. We work in an extremely old, sour gas plant so it is concerning. The managers know but refuse to hand more out as they have “already sent to many out”. The employees treat each other like garbage (just toxic people) there has not been a good thing said about anyone, mostly trash talking about the work ethics, stupidity of other workers, etc. Drivers are unlicensed. We have one driver who doesn’t like to drive home and will persistently ask our other coworker to drive. She will also leave randomly throughout the day leaving three of us who are all uninsured with a truck. This same driver also has a reputation of drinking and driving to work in her personal and company vehicle. So I guess what I’m asking is if I should leave this company or if I should try to have these problems resolved.

Hi all,

I hope you're doing well.

I wanted to share my experience as a Junior OHS Specialist in Canada and get some insights from you about the pathway ahead of me.

A bit about me: I'm a 26-year-old male currently living in Newfoundland. I have a Master’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) from Memorial University and a B.Sc. in Occupational Hygiene Engineering from my home country, Iran. Most of my career so far has been in academia and research. During my master’s, I worked with Transport Canada on analyzing maritime regulations. In my undergrad, I focused on chemical risk management systems and ergonomic risk management and I published multiple papers on these topics.

For the past two years, I’ve been working as an auditor for one of Canada’s major hospitality and food service auditing companies. My clients include well-known fast-food and hospitality businesses. My role primarily involves food safety audits, on-the-job coaching, and addressing specific OHS criteria.

Where I’m at now:

I’ve been trying to transition back into a more OHS-focused role for the past two years. I’ve earned several WorkplaceNL certifications, and I’m working toward my NHSA designation, followed by the CRST (I attempted it once but didn’t pass the first time). While I have some OHS-related experience—both in Iran and Canada—most of it is either short-term (internships, 6-month projects) or overlaps with my academic studies.

The main challenge I’m facing is that my lack of direct, in-field OHS experience is holding me back from landing OHS-specific jobs. My current job, while somewhat related, doesn’t fully align with my career goals, and I feel stuck. I don’t want to remain a food safety auditor long-term—it’s not where my passion lies, the workload doesn’t justify the pay, and the constant travel has me missing out on life.

Until recently, I couldn’t move out of Newfoundland due to immigration restrictions, but I’ve now obtained residency, so relocation is an option. I’ve also been investing a significant portion of my income into certifications to stand out, but despite this, I’m not even getting interviews. It feels like the industry is becoming harder to break into, and I’m unsure of my next steps.

Considering a change:

I’ve started exploring the idea of going back to trade school for an in-demand trade. However, that would mean spending 2+ years earning a degree and another 2–3 years building experience before becoming established. It’s a big shift and would mean setting aside everything I’ve worked and invested in so far.

Looking for advice:

Before making a decision, I wanted to hear from others who’ve been in similar situations or who have insights into the OHS field. Are there steps I should take to better position myself for OHS roles? Should I consider pivoting to trades, or are there other options I haven’t thought of?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice!

Mice infestation

My job for the past month has had a nice infestation we’ve seen them in day light. They have gotten in drawers and eaten food. And so much mouse droppings. They have called orkin and places traps and sticky traps and they have caught a few. But orkin does not come to check their traps my manager has to dispose of them. This morning there was alot of mouse droppings under my desk. And a mouse on a sticky trap in the kitchen. I wanted to talk to HR but there’s never anyone from HR present. They choose to work remote all the time. I’m frustrated that I have to work in these conditions and they don’t have to. Is this a violation?? We’re also working in concrete floor due to a flood but construction is starting in 2 weeks.

Their response ;

Thank you for bringing these concerns to our attention. I want to acknowledge the gravity of the situation you've described, as maintaining a safe and sanitary workplace is a top priority for us. We understand the distress caused by the mice infestation. Your diligence in maintaining a clean workspace is appreciated! We would like to clarify; the HR team remains avallable daily either in person or via Teams and email (on their remote day?) to address any concerns immediately. It's also important to note that we have a dedicated team responsible for facilities management, including issues like these. —————- are key contacts for all facility concerns and are actively working with us to resolve this matter. We would like to assure you that we are taking steps to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Increased Pest Control Monitoring: We have been in contact with our pest control company and they are actively monitoring the situation, have set traps, and are available as needed for additional services. Office Inspections and Cleaning: If any employee notices droppings and/or traps that need to be removed, they should report it to the facilities team immediately so removal and a thorough cleaning of the affected areas can be completed to ensure no contamination remains. Long-Term Preventative Measures: We will review and strengthen our pest prevention measures, including sealing any potential entry points where possible and improving waste management practices. Your health and well-being are of utmost importance to us. If you have additional concerns or notice any further issues, please do not tiesitate to reach out. Thank you for your patience as we work to address these matters.

I have been working in the safety profession since around 2013. I have zero college experience under my belt but do have several certifications for OSHA, HAZWOPER, CPR and several others. I do not hold any certifications from ASSP or BCSP. I believe the knowledge I have acquired from my experiences far outweighs any college. My question is, since I don't have college experience and frankly, don't plan on it, I was curious if some could give advice as what the best cert or endorsement would be?

I have interviewed for a couple good jobs. My interviews went very well. Feed back immediately after interview was great. However, each time I came up short when candidate was chosen and I unfortunately have not received the feedback telling me why. My theory is my lack of college or some certification. Does anyone know what certification would be best to stand out without any college degree? I thought of the SMS from the BCSP but decided to see what others on here might have to say. Thanks in advance for any help.

McDonald's chemical problem

I work at a McDonald's and it is leaving employees with irritated eyes red rashes almost like a chemical reaction. One of the employees looked they had a terrible case of poison ivy in her face and There atleast 10 employees experiencing these symptoms and atleast 2 of them went to the ER. The hospital told them it was a chemical reaction .The health department was called, they came to the establishment and told the managers to clean everything and drain the hot water tank and cleaned the HVAC system and filters. That did not help really fast forward a week later and here we are at least 10 of the employees are still having problems my eyes burn when I go there then all night when I get home. For at least a day or 2 after tvs or any lights have a lil haze and it makes it really hard to drive. I called off a day because it was so bad I couldn't even open my eyes and they have no intentions of reimbursing me. The worst part is it seems like they're not even trying to figure out what it is and trying to hush it up as soon as they can.

I own a fairly successful daycare and we are wanting to amp up our security. We currently have two sets of doors with number keypads that parents will use to enter the building and then use the keypad again to get past the lobby and go to the classrooms. The issue with the door codes is that parents will just give other people their codes, leading to unauthorized pick ups. We were looking at what gyms use to sign in with barcode key tags, where people scan it and it pops up their image to make sure the person picking up is the right person. But, it seems to be a lot of money for creating an extra step that people won’t follow through on. Do yall have any ideas or recommendations that could help with this issue?

Hi, I'm a RN working in Ontario, Canada and was wondering if anyone who is a OHN has transitioned into a OHS role? Did you go back to school for additional schooling/what was the process of your transition?

I'm looking into going back to school for a certificate for OHN since I'm not 100% sure if OHS is for me, but also want to keep my options open in case I do want to do a full career switch.

Hi, I'm a 30 year old ,male living in Edmonton, Alberta. I recently quit my job as a diesel technician for CP rail, where I worked for 5 years. I'm starting a 2 year online diploma from University of Alberta. I wanted to have a career change, and found health and safety to be a good career path. Is it worth pursuing this career path. What are my options ? Any special suggestion please.

Before a mammogram, patients are required to wipe off any deodorant left on the skin so aluminum from deodorant does not appear in the image. At an imaging facility, they are offering every patient aerosol deodorant spray after their exam. Wouldn’t this be a workplace hazard for the people repeatedly exposed to this spray 50 plus times a day?

What does one do about all the paperwork management required for things like pre-use inspection sheets for equipment and visitor logs, for example? Regulations require record retention for 3 years, but I'm frequently being given paperwork that is weathered, dirty, or damaged. All I've been doing is scanning the documents to digital and filing them but I wish there was a better way. I'd like to be rid of some of this crap papers.

I work in an old building surround by a brick sidewalk. For the past week, construction workers have been drilling that sidewalk to replace it with new brick. They drill for eight hours a day with no warning or consideration given to employees.

I try and wear an N-95 mask inside. But there are clouds of dust you can see within 10 feet of my window. Sometimes--and this seems to be irresponsible--they will use leaf blowers to move the extensive brick dust. It often creates a cloud of brick dust so thick I can't see out my window.

My boss could not care less about these issues. All she cares about is that you're in the office. The only way not to come in is to quit. She's a master of telling you that you're overreacting. And, besides, as the work winds down, I've already been inside while the brick work is going on.

How concerned are you about silica dust coating my office? How much would enter via a window or through the cooling system? Is it safe to be inside when the repair work has been outside? If no one cares, is it time to up and quit?

What I'm worried about is that I've already had too much exposure by staying in my office while it's been going on. I have had a cough during this time, but I'm not sure if it's directly from this brick work. I'd be glad to see a pulmonologist. I had a lot of asbestos exposure as a kid, and I admit to being a bit scared here. I'd welcome your advice.

I’m a mobile diesel mechanic and my job involves me driving 3+ hours away to truck yards every night to work on units that need fixing. My problem is these specific yards are out in the middle of nowhere, where there is no light source on the yards and it’s pitch black out every night even when the moon is out because of the surrounding trees. It makes me very uncomfortable due to the fact that I’m alone and working on heavy duty equipment and if I get hurt no one will know until the next day since I’m alone. But more than that, the fact that it’s so dark I can’t be aware of my surroundings and I worry about someone getting the jump on me. I’ve been a night crew mobile mechanic for my entire adult career, but this is the first time I’ve been expected to be alone in the dark everyday doing big jobs that take multiple hours and require me to have take a truck apart and have my tools all out so I just can’t get up and bail at a moments notice. Previous jobs I always had another mechanic with me and we were always told not to go to yards by ourselves at night and rightfully so because we have had to fight off people who tried to sneak up on us while we were distracted working on trucks. I’ve brought it up with my employers but they either just ignore what I’m saying or kind of condemn me off handed.

My question is, is it reasonable for my job to expect me to work alone in the dark every night or do I have a right to make a fuss about this to my employers and/or HR. The only reason I haven’t gone to HR yet is because I worry that this is just a me thing due to the fact that I have sever anxiety and panic disorder that I’ve been diagnosed by the VA from my time in the military. So I’m already always looking over my shoulder 24/7 thinking who ever/what ever is out to do harm to me so obviously it’s amplified by 100 when I’m alone in the dark at night. So I do think it is very possible that this isn’t the job or field I should probably be in but it also the only thing I know how to do so I’m afraid I’m either just gonna have to deal with losing my sanity every night or have to accept that I have to take a lower paying job and make a career shift.

Hey new here!!!! Hope all is well btw!

Just wanted to ask about occupational health and safety management to those that majored it was it worth?

I'm thinking about Majoring in occupational health and safety.

How serious is daily exposure to carbon monoxide ? Our office just finally got detectors a few weeks ago, and since then, they have gone off daily, multiple times a day, to the point where they won’t stop unless we walk outside with them , but then they immediately start going off again when we step inside the building.

We had brought this up to management , who just told us to take the batteries out. I don’t see the point in having the detectors if they just tell us to take the batteries out whenever they detect the carbon monoxide ?

Over the years working in the building, my coworker and I have all experienced awful headaches/migraines, nausea, and drowsiness more than we considered normal in the workplace, but we always chalked it up to us either catching some bug, not getting enough sleep, etc etc. but now that we finally have carbon monoxide detectors, we are wondering if all these years, we have been experiencing those things due to exposure, and we just didn’t know it.

Coworker & I are worried about our health but management doesn’t seem concerned at all, and were even told that if we continue to push the subject, that it will reflect badly on us to management.

I’m just curious how serious this kind of daily exposure over possibly years actually is ? Are we making too big a big deal out of it ? I’m no expert obviously so if that’s the case, that’s fine. I just don’t want my health and daily well-being to be at risk.

Thanks !

Hi everyone,

My workplace is insisting on the use of contaminated recycled water for cleaning heavy machines used in construction.

Our recycler separates out oils and mud in a settling tank then passes through several metal mesh filter screens before being pumped back to our hoses.

My concern is that we use several types of degreasers and detergents, some of which are corrosive. These chemicals get washed down the drainage system into the recycler and to my knowledge there is no system to remove these chemicals from the water.

The contaminated water inevitably gets into your skin and can remain for several hours before getting a chance to wash off.

Context: we use an enormous amount of water cleaning. Machines come to us COVERED in dirt, concrete dust, manure, mud, grease, oil, tar, garbage and plant material but predominantly grease and mud. I am completely in support of reducing our water usage as we are in a dry climate.

We have PPE when using cleaning chemicals and they are applied in a controlled way. However the recycled water is not treated with this same level of caution. It is common to get completely soaked with water during the process of washing the machines and contaminants can remain on soaked uniforms for hours.

My employers insist that the water is safe and regular testing is conducted but have been unable to sufficiently explain what they are actually testing for or what the results show.

My concern is I can have water on we for several hours at a time. At the end of the day we charge to a fresh uniform drive home. No shower.

Is there some way of getting a sample of the water independently tested so I can know exactly how dangerous (or not dangerous) the water actually is? I would prefer to do this discretely if possible.

Any information or advice is greatly appreciated.

My company has placed a cabinet in aa breezeway blocking an exit path. Is there any subreddits that could look at a rough floor plan and see if this is acceptable?

Hi guys, so basically my partner wants to report his employer to HSE (We are uk based) as they are breaking multiple h&s regulations and they are already in bad terms (big story but HR is now involved for potentially bulling and harassment). As I am the h&s freak I did my little digging and found that they break at least 20 regulations with some of them more important than others. I have written everything down and my partner collected evidence (photos etc) to submit a report. However I wanna be sure whats the next steps and how seriously the council will treat the report. Some of the issues are smaller such as expired helmets and some other ones are major such as fire safety. Do you have any experience how the hse and local council will deal with it given it was not an incident?

We are both willing to take it to the end and I am currently doing my NEBOSH training which means probably I will have extra things popping in my mind to add to the long list of regulations that they broke.

Any suggestions ideas etc will help

Question about a mishap I had at a lab I (used) to work at. I set a vacuum oven to a temperature as stated in the SOP book. Problem was, the main temperature control gauge had been replaced in the past with a gauge that read in C instead of F. The original gauge was F, as well as the four other individual shelf control gauges. Well obviously it got too hot and long story short I was terminated from my position there due to this.

Now the switching of the main gauge occurred before I became employed there. I was never told this. In the specific SOP for this particular vacuum oven, there is absolutely no mention of the gauge switch. The only reason this lab used the C gauge was because they had it on hand and didn’t have to wait to order a F reading gauge.

Does this in any way seem like a OSHA violation or anything of that nature to anyone?

Hi I am hoping this is the right space for this. My daughter is 17 and started working at a dog boarding facility a few moths ago. This was a mom and pop business that was sold to a national investment group that now owns 20 or so boarding facilities around the country. My daughter recieved a few days of OJT and then was on her own, they have typically a 30:1 ratio of staff to dog, don't seem to do any temperament screening and my daughter has been bitten twice since she started. This last time she was trapped in a kennel with a putbull who had latched on to her hoody. It was only her and one other employee and she screamed for 15 minutes before her sweatshirt finally ripped in half and she was able to escape.

I am concerned that this kennel is understaffed for the amount of animals that it boards, that it does not have any oversight regarding employee safety. I have contacted the manager and am trying to contact the regional management in Utah (I am in Oregon)

I am considering an OSHA complaint, but my #1 priority is to make sure these kids (mostly hoghschoolers work there) are not in danger.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Hello, I am in Bachelor of Kinesiology and OHS has intrigued me. Is there anyone else from Canada who can help me with a few questions? there is a full time occupational health and safety diploma at BCIT that I can go to and will this be enough for me to land a job somewhere after I get certified or do I also need experience in construction in order to be get a job?

This may be a stupid question but I gotta ask.

I'm a house keeper for a lady who lives in her RV she recently has a flood from her black water tank the bathroom the hallway the kitchen and the lower cabinets. She wants me to clean this and continue working there as she claims it's my fault it happened. Is this safe? I'm in no way certified to clean bio hazards but she claims she just emptied the tank before it happened and it's not black water. I also don't clean with bleach as I hate it and I'm told it's the only thing for this?

I'm looking to replace a first aid cabinet in a retail deli which is a high moisture environment the standard painted steel ones rust rapidly.

We tried one of the few plastic ones that are available but they require specially ordered supplies from a particular company to fit in the cutouts that hold the supplies.

I've been looking around and can't seem to find anything that fits the need ideally would be two shelf and wall hangable with the first aid symbol on the box. Needs to be available for order in the USA.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Hey everyone, I am in a unique situation where I need to use a forklift to move something for work, but I am not forklift certified. As I started looking into certifications, I realized that the only person who can certify is an employer, but I work for a law firm so none of us can certify. I was planning on renting a forklift from United Rentals or a similar company, but I am trying to minimize any liability. Do I need to get a certification or some sort of insurance? I know how to operate a forklift and have before but not in a work setting where there is actually possible liability. Any help on this would be very much appreciated. Thank you!

Occupational Health & Safety or Health, Safety & Environmental Sustainability!!

Hey all! Got a Bachelors in Earth Sciences & a Masters in Remote Sensing & Geographical Information System along with EHS certifications like OSHA 30 hrs., NEBOSH IGC, ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and few others as got the recent major chunk of my experience in Occupation Health, Safety & Environmental role in middle east (not from there basically). Just wondering, what is the field's scope in the western world and where you are from, what else can be done to secure a job there. Any input would be greatly appreciated!!

Sorry, I don't know where to asked, but I've been asked how to protect ourselves from GRE?

which GRE i meant? the Glass reinforced epoxy, we have this project where we removing abundant oil tank, and inside have GRE, and there questioning how we protect ourselve from GRE?

I've been searching at google and failed to understand and how harmful it is to us? what sort of PPE should I give to our employer in order to do the job?

I do a part time job where I get paid to go into an apartment by a landlord, formerly rented out to a diagnosed horder and clean it out. Recently, a new tenant has moved in with a dog and we've introduced ourselves. Today, I went in and realized that the lady was not there, but when I went to clean some of the bookshelves, the dog attempted to attack me and I ran.

Is there anything I can do?

I got a forklift certification from compliancetrainingonline.com yesterday. The certificate says it doesn't expire. Is this normal?