First Reference Talks » occupational health and safety

Posts Tagged ‘occupational health and safety’

Safety and security for business travellers: a legal and moral imperative for Canadian employers, part 2

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

In some cases, business leaders fail to recognize that employee travel falls within the physical scope of workplace activities. In other cases, decision-makers believe that only those travelling to international high-risk destinations require any type of security protection. In most organizations, there is also a gap in knowledge when it comes to travel security, contributing to a lack of risk awareness and fragmented ownership of the function within the organization.

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Tags: all reasonable steps, Blue Mountain Resorts Limited v. Ontario, business travel, business travel destinations as workplaces, common law, Duty of care, employee group benefits, employee travel, failure to comply, high-risk locale, hot spots, international travel, non-compliance, occupational health and safety, OH&S, R v Port Colborne, risk assessment, risk management myth, safety risk, security risk, situational awareness, tort liability, tracking travellers, travel and extended health care insurance, travel risk management, travel-related risk, TRM, what is a workplace, workplace, workplace violence
Posted in Employee Relations, Health and Safety, Human Resources | Make a Comment »

Safety and security for business travellers: a legal and moral imperative for Canadian employers

Friday, December 16th, 2011

When it comes to employee travel, the risk landscape is changing for Canadian employers. The nature and extent of security and safety risks faced by today’s business traveller are expanding, and conditions on the ground for international travellers are becoming more unpredictable. In parallel with these changes, we are witnessing a tidal wave of new occupational health and safety statutes and regulations aimed at preventing work-related violence, including recent examples in Ontario, Manitoba and Newfoundland.

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Tags: all reasonable steps, business travel, civil unrest, Duty of care, earthquakes, employee group benefits, employee travel, employment law, enhanced security and medical assistance services, failure to comply, high-risk locale, international travel, medical outbreaks, natural disasters, non-compliance, occupational health and safety, OH&S, organized crime, political instability, risk management, safety risk, security risk, severe weather, tort liability, travel and extended health care insurance, travel insurance, travel risk, travel risk management, travel safety and security plan, travel-related risks, TRM
Posted in Employee Relations, Health and Safety, Human Resources | Make a Comment »

Occupational health and safety missteps often cost workers their lives

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

Nova Scotia is a wondrous place full of amazing–and dangerous–places. I visited “Canada’s Ocean Playgound” this summer and came home with a renewed appreciation for labour history and the reality that occupational health and safety missteps often cost workers their lives.

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Tags: Accidents, Due diligence, employment law, health and safety standards, Miners, Mining, Mining operations, Nova Scotia, occupational health and safety, occupational health and safety act, occupational health and safety missteps often cost workers their lives, policies and procedures, policy, workplace
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Dealing with heat stress in the workplace

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Weather experts are indicating that July 21, 2011 will be the hottest temperature ever recorded in Ontario. Employers in all jurisdictions in Canada have obligations when it comes to heatwaves.

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Tags: Dealing with heat stress in the workplace, employment law, heat stress, heatwaves, occupational health and safety, Thermal Conditions, Working Safely in the Heat
Posted in Health and Safety, Human Resources | Make a Comment »

Don’t sweep harassment under the carpet

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Occupational health and safety law and human rights law both prohibit reprisals, threats and intimidation against a person for exercising their rights. Employers can be liable for stiff financial penalties for permitting this unacceptable behaviour…

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Tags: allegations of abuse, Bill 168, canadian employment law, complaint process, employment law, harassment, human rights code, intimidation, occupational health and safety, occupational health and safety act, Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, policies and procedures, prevention, reprisals, threats, unacceptable behaviour, workplace harassment, workplace harassment and violence, workplace violence
Posted in Employee Relations, Health and Safety, Human Resources, Human Rights | 1 Comment »

Introducing guest bloggers John Proctor and Nicole Legault

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

It’s a pleasure to welcome John Proctor and Nicole Legault as regular guest bloggers for First Reference Talks. They will be blogging on several topics, including how to protect the health and safety of employees in dangerous situations and working overseas, how to assess hostile situations and workplace environments…

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Tags: employees working overseas, guest bloggers, hostile situations, hostile work environment, human risk, iHR Solutions, Integrated Human Risk Solutions, John Proctor, national health and safety organization, Nicole Legault, occupational health and safety, travel risk management
Posted in Announcements | Make a Comment »

Employers are responsible for employees attending training

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

What is your workplace policy on protecting (accommodating) employees and others who have food allergies, environmental sensitivities and other “hidden” of “non-evident” potential disabilities?

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Tags: Disability, discrimination, duty to accommodate, environmental sensitivities, food allergies in the workplace, occupational health and safety, safe working environment, Workplace policy
Posted in Health and Safety, Human Resources, Human Rights, Training and Development | Make a Comment »

The importance of first aid in the workplace

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Although all jurisdictions in Canada require workplaces to provide a first aid kit, first-aid attendant and training, many small to medium-sized businesses are still not complying with the law. Employers need to remember that many potential situations or medical emergencies can occur in the workplace that have the potential to cause injuries and fatalities.

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Tags: accidents and injuries, employment law, first aid attendant, first aid in the workplace, first aid kit, first aid training, medical emergencies in the workplace, occupational health and safety, Workers’ Compensation Board
Posted in Health and Safety, Human Resources | 3 Comments »

Paving company owner OHS fine for death of teen

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

A Manitoba business owner was fined $33,500 for numerous workplace and safety violations which contributed to the death of a 15-year-old boy who was buried in burning asphalt.

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Tags: canadian employment law, employment law, employment standards act, employment standards code, fines, HRinfodesk, minimum age of employment, occupational health and safety, OHS penalties, orientation and training of young and new workers, The Human Resources Advisor, workplace and safety violations, Workplace Health and Safety Act
Posted in Employment Standards, Health and Safety, Human Resources | Comments Off

General employment, health and safety information is not legal advice

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

I recently received feedback from a reader stating “I checked with the Ministry of Labour and you don’t need two separate policies to meet your workplace violence and harassment obligations. Your information is wrong.” Always question information you read or are given, double check it, triple check it and then make up your own mind about how you are going to proceed. However, it does not make the information in itself wrong.

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Tags: Bill 168, canadian employment law, employment law, feedback, harassment, legal advice, occupational health and safety, occupational health and safety act, OHSA, online information, policies and procedures, reference manual, workplace harassment, workplace violence
Posted in Health and Safety, Human Resources | Make a Comment »

Workplace violence in self-defence: what does the law say?

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Although some readers believe that any kind of workplace violence is inappropriate, there was a consensus that acting within reason to protect yourself is okay—nobody should be expected to “stand there and take a beating”.

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Tags: Bill 168, canadian employment law, employment law, Harassment and violence training, occupational health and safety, occupational health and safety act, OHSA, ontario, policies and procedures, self-defence, training, workplace harassment and violence policies and program, workplace violence, workplace violence and self-defence, workplace violence in self-defence, workplace violence workshop
Posted in Health and Safety, Human Resources | 3 Comments »

OHS compliance orders issued against metal company where employee crushed his arm

Friday, October 8th, 2010

I recently read an article about how the Nova Scotia Department of Labour issued seven compliance orders against a metal works company in the province after a 24-year-old worker was seriously hurt.

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Tags: accident, canadian employment law, compliance orders, Department of Labour, employment law, metal company, Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Nova Socita, occupational health and safety, OH&S, workplace accidents, workplace injury, workplace investigations, young and new workers
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Ontario court recognizes health and safety risks associated with sex-trade laws, and strikes them down

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

We wrote about a controversial challenge to Canada’s prostitution laws last year, and the judge hearing the case has finally released her decision—in favour of the sex-trade workers who raised the challenge. “I have found that the law as it stands, is currently contributing to the danger faced by prostitutes”, said the judge.

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Tags: canadian employment law, criminal code, decriminalizing prostitution, employment law, occupational health and safety, ontario, sex trade, solicitation
Posted in Employment Standards, Health and Safety, Human Resources, Human Rights | Make a Comment »

Disturbing death of an underage worker – hearing begins October 2010

Friday, September 10th, 2010

A recent article described the tragic death of a boy who was 15 years old and working as a paver for a company near Winnipeg. The company truck was dumping asphalt into a massive pile to use for various projects. The underage worker was helping unload the truck when he was hit by the entire load and buried alive under burning asphalt.

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Tags: construction sites, criminal code, criminal investigation, employing underage workers, employing youth worker, employment law, employment standards code, failing to safeguard workplace health and safety, health and safety, Interlock Paving, manitoba, occupational health and safety, summer employment, underage workers, Winnipeg, Workplace Health and Safety Act
Posted in Employment Standards, Health and Safety, Human Resources | 1 Comment »

Bedbug infestations a human resources woe!

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

A colleague of mine thought bedbug infestation invading the workplace would be a good blogging topic because of the frisson he got just thinking of it.

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Tags: bed bug infestation in the workplace, bed bugs, bed bugs in the workplace, Bedbug, CUPE, good housekeeping, National Pest Management Association, occupational health and safety, office environment, pest control experts, workplace
Posted in Health and Safety, Human Resources | Make a Comment »