Living in fear is terrible and restaurants offer a great escape when Canadians can go out again, while taking proper precautions
As we inch toward a more normalized economy, the focus will be on how we can make people feel more comfortable about going out and about again. Our economy needs it and our food service sector desperately needs it – but it’s not going to be easy. In a survey conducted in mid-May by the…
Dental offices are safe, says U of A periodontist who urges people not to put off appointments that would prevent problems
Dental issues such as broken and fractured teeth are on the rise as COVID-19 pandemic stress continues to affect our lives. Dentists at the University of Alberta’s School of Dentistry Oral Health Clinic are warning patients that postponing treatment will only escalate the problem. “It’s a very stressful time, and we are grinding and clenching our teeth…
We'll likely be able to celebrate a more normal December holiday season in 2021. The hard part's getting there
We’ve just marked (I won’t say celebrated) the first anniversary of the pandemic. And we have a long way to go – but we need to stay diligent. A year ago, when it was just starting, most of us expected that the resulting fear, uncertainties and restrictions would be over in a few weeks. As…
Evidence review shows wearing a mask during exercise doesn’t affect cardiopulmonary function
A review of evidence by a team of Canadian and U.S.-based researchers shows that for most people, using face masks during moderate to heavy exercise does not affect lung function. The review, published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society, and referenced in guidance issued from the World Health Organization, examined the effects of various face masks and…
A professional can test for radon levels and other air pollutants in your home, or you can do it yourself with a detection system
You may think you’re doing your duty to help flatten the COVID-19 infection curve but staying home may expose your family to different types of health risks. No, the culprit isn’t bacteria or a virus. It’s the quality of the air we breathe in our homes and the contaminants lurking within. It may be an…
Countless animals ingest plastics and die. Do we care? Do we care that these plastics are now in the human food chain?
We often see news items about the environmental impact of single-use plastic straws. And we want to do something, which is good. Costa Rica plans to ban single-use plastics. At a recent G7 summit, the nations condemned single use straws and said they will discuss the matter at a future meeting. But no action has…
Evidence reviews of masks, goggles and shoe covers suggest individual pieces of PPE aren’t enough by themselves
By Michael Brown Contributor Troy Media There’s no evidence to suggest simple surgical masks aren’t as effective as scarce N95 respirator masks in protecting health-care staff during routine primary care, according to an international research team conducting literature reviews of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the context of COVID-19. University of Alberta occupational medicine specialists Sebastian…
Just because you ride a bike, that doesn’t put you on the side of the angels or make you better than the rest of us
In Vancouver, my hometown, city council is using the COVID-19 pandemic to fulfil a long-held fantasy: the elimination of cars and the end of vehicle traffic throughout the city. While the rest of us are coping with one of the worst economic crisis in Canadian history and bungling along with reduced public transit and dwindling…
Until regulators more loudly express their expectations for online identity verification, the integrity of risk mitigating training will be in doubt
Editor’s note: Online health and safety training is a booming industry, but how can employers and the public be assured that workers are completing course requirements? In the third in a series, Troy Media looks at gaps in regulation that throw the integrity of online learning into doubt. Online safety training for workers is here…
Today’s automobiles are full of safety features and more improvements are added every model year
In a dramatic video that made the rounds on the Internet a few years ago, a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu is crashed into a 1959 Chev Bel Air in a front offset collision staged by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Despite the prevailing wisdom that older automobiles, with their heavier construction and greater use…
Robert Day talks about the technology that Integrity Advocate has developed to verify that online students complete the training required of them
Integrity Advocate co-founder Robert Day is a licensed investigator and paralegal. Can you tell me what you do? Day: I’m a co-founder of a company called Integrity Advocate, as well as a licensed paralegal and investigator. I co-developed the patented technology that Integrity Advocate is known for, which addresses legality and effectiveness concerns associated with…
Who will ensure devices have been tested thoroughly and are secure? Who will ensure our privacy is protected?
Back in the early 1990s, I came across a story about a Coke machine that you could query from anywhere on the Internet and it would tell you the temperature of the drinks, the last time it was stocked and how full it was. The machine was in the computer science department of Carnegie Mellon…
Carrie Gour of PwrSwitch talks about helping those being harassed, stalked or abused reclaim peace of mind, a sense of security and a measure of control
Carrie Gour is co-founder and CEO of PwrSwitch. What is PwrSwitch and what does it do? Gour: PwrSwitch is an application designed especially (though not exclusively) for anyone managing the aftermath of a high-conflict relationship, or anyone dealing with cyber-harassment or cyber-stalking. It effortlessly creates the foundation of evidence you need to file court orders,…
Online health and safety training is a booming industry, but how can employers and the public be assured that workers are completing course requirements?
Editors note: Online health and safety training is a booming industry, but how can employers and the public be assured that workers are completing course requirements? In the first of a series, Troy Media explores efforts to prevent fraud in the new world of digital learning. Safety training is increasingly going online because companies and…
A safe environment, fair pay, leadership and consideration for employees’ futures should always be at the forefront
I recently heard of a leader within an organization who was treating his assistant much like a slave. Not only was the leader verbally demeaning to the assistant, he would often bring his dog to work and expect his assistant clean up the mess his dog left in the building. Working in a non-unionized environment,…