workplace fatality

Compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act: Necessary for the lives of your workers

January 31, 2019 Beyond Rewards Inc Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Penalties and Fines, Training and Development

This past September, a paving contractor was fined $325,000 for a workplace fatality that occurred due to not properly complying with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Compliance with the Act includes following proper policies and procedures and ensuring your employees are trained on safety issues.

employment law, safety training, workplace fatality

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

March 12, 2015 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Recruiting and Hiring, Union Relations

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with the importance of carefully crafting employment agreement; an employer’s offensive, distasteful and inappropriate’ motivational presentation; and, OHS worker fatality.

discrimination, employment agreement, employment contract, employment law, fixed-term contract, grievance, harassment, Jail sentence, occupational health and safety, Workplace accident, workplace fatality, workplace injury

Fatalities at work: are they leading to stiffer consequences?

January 27, 2014 Christina Catenacci Employee Relations, Health and Safety, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Penalties and Fines

In the 2012 Metron Construction and Swartz decisions concerning the deaths of four workers and serious injury of a fifth worker, the Ontario Court of Justice imposed substantial fines but no jail time for the company’s president under either provincial or federal legislation. More recently, however, in R. v. Roofing Medics Ltd., which involved the fatality of one worker, the court did impose jail time on the owner of the company. Employers should take note. It’s not yet clear if the Roofing Medics case will influence future decisions, but the Ontario Court of Justice has at least shown that it is willing to impose jail time on employers that do not comply with health and safety legislation.

courts, criminal code, deterrance, employers, employment law, fall protection, fall-arrest offence, fall-arrest systems, fall-protection equipment, fall-related deaths, harness, jail time, jail time for OHS offences, Joel Swartz, legal compliance, lying to an inspector, Metron, Metron Construction, Ministry of Labour, occupational health and safety, occupational health and safety act, roofing falls, Roofing Medics, serious injuries, sole director, supervisor, workplace fatalities, workplace fatality

What danger lurks between the blades of grass?

April 3, 2012 Adam Gorley Health and Safety, Human Resources

Here’s an interesting and frightening bit of information: each year in the United States, 190 landscapers die on the job. The rate of fatalities among lawn care workers is more than four times the rate for other workers…

Due diligence, falling objects, landscaping, lawn maintenance, overexertion, personal protective equipment, safe practices, Slips, trips and falls, workplace fatality, workplace injury

Slaw: Another attempt to lay criminal charges in a workplace fatality

March 16, 2010 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor 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.

Bill C-45, criminal code, occupational health and safety, OH&S, slaw.ca, workplace fatality