Glossary beginning with W
W
- Water resistant sunscreen search for term
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A water resistant sunscreen is a sunscreen that retains its stated SPF after a specified time (either 40 minutes or 80 minutes) in water or from sweating. These sunscreens are not considered to be water proof. It is always important to reapply sunscreen following swimming or sweating.
- Wavelength search for term
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A property of electromagnetic radiation. It is the distance (in meters) between the peaks of the electromagnetic waves. For ultraviolet radiation, its wavelengths are between 200nm and 400nm.
- Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) search for term
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The wet bulb globe temperature provides an index of the environmental conditions that contribute to heat stress and is the basis for the TLV for heat stress. It is influenced by air temperature, radiant heat, air movement, and humidity. It is often measured using a heat stress monitor. This device automatically calculates WBGT based on the measurement of: air temperature (dry bulb temperature), radiant heat (using black wet bulb thermometer to measure globe temperature), and the cooling effect of evaporation caused by air movement (using a wet bulb thermometer to measure natural wet bulb temperature).
- Work/rest cycle search for term
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A work/rest cycle describes a worker’s pattern of work and rest/recovery within a workday. It is both a consideration of the heat stress daily assessment using wet bulb globe temperature, and can also be used as a control measure when an elevated risk of heat stress is identified. For example, more and longer periods of rest are initiated as risk increases. Also see sun safety risk assessment.
- Worker search for term
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‘Worker’ is defined differently in the occupational health and safety statutes across Canada. In some statutes, the word ‘employee’ is used instead. A worker usually has duties, including a general duty to take care. Sometimes worker is defined to include non-employees. It may or may not be defined to include supervisors and managers.
- Worker representative search for term
- Workers’ compensation search for term
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Workers’ compensation systems are provincially run insurance systems that replace the common law rights of workers and their families to sue employers and others for losses from accidents and disease. An otherwise federally regulated workplace is under the workers’ compensation system of the province that workplace is located in. Medical aid for a sun-induced condition will usually be paid for through workers’ compensation. A worker away from work due to sun-induced condition will have wage replacement (some % of usual wage) through the workers’ compensation system. Each provincial jurisdiction has their own system for what notice must be given to the workers’ compensation authority regarding sun-induced conditions and what benefits are allowed.
- Workplace parties search for term
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Under the philosophy of the Internal Responsibility System (IRS), workplace parties refers to everyone in the organization as an individual, as well as the employer and other entities such as contractors or constructors, depending on the occupational health and safety legislation). When considering workplace health and safety committees, workplace parties will often mean two groups: labor and management (or employees and employer).