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When flying at altitudes higher than 8,000 feet, airplanes need to pressurize the interior cabins to allow passengers to breathe normally. Most jet-propelled airplanes achieve this pressurization by “bleeding” a small percentage of highly pressurized air from within the engines into the air circulation of the internal cabin.

Check out our updated health and safety fact sheet on the dangerous gas, hydrogen sulfide.

Asbestos is the general name for a group of naturally occurring minerals that are silicon-based and made up of fibres. Asbestos can be used to make or enhance products that are long-lasting and fire-resistant. It was mainly used in Canada before 1990 in commercial buildings and homes due to its heat resistance, tensile strength and insulating qualities. However, when we breathe air that is contaminated with asbestos dust, we breathe in small sharp, barbed-like asbestos fibers that find their way deep into our lung tissues and other internal organs where they remain – for life.

CUPE’s new kit focuses primarily on preventing violence and harassment in the workplace before it happens.

Health and safety is an essential part of the important work that CUPE locals and members do to ensure a safe and secure work and workplace environment for everyone. Check out the new Health and Safety Committee Resource Kit and order yours today.

Some workers have a chance of being exposed to opioids. There are two potential types of activities that can lead to a potential exposure: direct and incidental. Incidental exposure occurs to workers who are not directly tasked with handling drugs as part of their occupation.

Precarious work deeply impacts people’s lives, health and well-being, and ultimately, their communities. That’s the number one thing CUPE heard in a series of town halls on precarious work in the post-secondary sector held earlier this year.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees has published a booklet on its perspective and position on the important issue of post-secondary education.

Many CUPE members work in occupations that put them at risk of exposure to respiratory hazards. These hazards include oxygen-deficient atmospheres, airborne contaminants (including mists, fumes, dusts, or other gasses that may be toxic), or biological contaminants that may harbour any number of infectious diseases.

Excessive noise is one of the most common causes of hearing loss and occupationally related hearing loss continues to be a significant problem in Canadian workplaces. Many CUPE members work in occupations that put them at risk of exposure to excessive noise.