OH&S
February 5, 2013 Marcia Scheffler Health and Safety, Human Resources, Training and Development,
As of April 1, 2012, the Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) officially took over the prevention mandate from WSIB. How has this been impacting employers in 2013 and what real effects are organizations seeing? If you have any comments about this, I’d love to hear.
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November 22, 2012 David Hyde Employee Relations, Health and Safety, Human Resources,
Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety has announced the enactment of a new regulatory amendment aimed at enhancing the protection of late night retail workers in that province. The new law comes into force on January 1st, 2013, and compels those operating late night retail establishments to conduct a hazard assessment and implement a range of specific crime prevention measures to protect late night retail workers.
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April 17, 2012 Adam Gorley Corporate Immigration, Health and Safety, Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring, Training and Development
A few years ago, the Institute for Work and Health decided to look for health and safety resources for recent immigrants. When it didn’t have much luck, the institute took the initiative to develop its own comprehensive tool kit. While the package is designed for immigrant settlement agencies to use in their orientation programs, organizations that employ immigrants should find it contains much valuable information that they can use in their own training efforts…
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January 18, 2012 David Hyde Employee Relations, Health and Safety, Human Resources
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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December 16, 2011 David Hyde Employee Relations, Health and Safety, Human Resources
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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June 28, 2011 Andrew Lawson Conferences, Health and Safety, Human Resources, Privacy and Security
So here’s a question to ask yourself—what are your legal obligations under Ontario law when you see an online photo of your worker committing violent acts?
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May 24, 2011 Andrew Lawson Employee Relations, Health and Safety, Human Resources
The Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) requires that when conducting a workplace violence risk assessment you take into account both the nature of your workplace and type of work you perform…
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October 8, 2010 Christina Catenacci Health and Safety, Human Resources
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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June 8, 2010 Andrew Lawson Health and Safety, Human Resources
This case contains an interesting detail of particular interest to managers who feel harassed by health and safety anti-harassment policies…
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May 4, 2010 Yosie Saint-Cyr Health and Safety, Human Resources
On May 3, 2010, the Ontario Ministry of Labour released new resource tools to help prevent violence and address harassment in the workplace in light of the new requirements under the Occupational Health and Safety Act that come into effect on June 15, 2010. The MOL workplace violence tool kit and accompanying guide are additional resources that assist employers in complying with these new requirements by helping them to:
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March 23, 2010 Stuart Rudner Health and Safety, Human Resources
Bill 168 is intended to address concerns of workplace violence and harassment in the context of health and safety. It provides definitions of both workplace violence and workplace harassment, and then requires that organizations undertake a risk assessment, draft workplace violence and harassment policies, and develop programs to implement those policies. Furthermore, Bill 168 requires training and instruction of employees regarding the new policies and programs, and creates a positive obligation on the part of employers to take reasonable precautions for the protection of workers when the employer is aware that they may be exposed to domestic violence. Bill 168 also requires that employers provide personal information to employees regarding persons with a history of violent behaviour. Finally, Bill 168 expands the existing right to refuse work, so that it now applies where there is a risk of imminent danger due to workplace violence.
Does the Bill go far enough in addressing workplace violence? Too far? How do we reconcile the reporting obligations with privacy rights?
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March 18, 2010 Andrew Lawson Health and Safety, Human Resources
The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires all employees to:
- Act in compliance with the law
- Use protective equipment and devices provided by their employer
- Report defects in equipment
- Report the existence of workplace hazards
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March 17, 2010 Andrew Lawson Health and Safety, Human Resources
Ergonomics is the science of creating a proper fit between a worker and the work environment. Employers are required by law to employ ergonomic principles in the workplace in order to prevent workplace muscular skeletal disorders and also to prevent existing conditions from worsening.
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March 16, 2010 Yosie Saint-Cyr Health and Safety, Human Resources
A recent case has tested Bill C-45, the amendment to the Criminal Code that attached criminal responsibility to an organization or corporation for negligence related to health and safety in the workplace, and broadened the range of individuals who are subject to charges under the Code. Since the enactment of Bill C-45 on March 31, 2004, charges have been laid in just four cases, and only one resulted in a conviction. As a result, many are wondering if the enforcement of such provisions is even possible.
Read the full article on Slaw.ca.
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March 15, 2010 Yosie Saint-Cyr Health and Safety, Human Resources
Occupational health and safety legislation across Canada requires employers to identify any existing or foreseeable hazards that might arise in the workplace, and to conduct an assessment of these various workplace hazards that employees might be exposed to, or that may arise from the nature of the workplace, and the type and conditions of the work…
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Hi John, Thanks for your comment. Check out paragraph 67 of the decision: "Accordingly, none of what I have written above is to suggest or... – May 22, 4:38 PM
This is really spin doctoring the decision. My firm appeared at the Court of Appeal for an intervenor the University of Saskatchewan. Whatever the Supreme... – May 22, 1:00 AM
