Features
-
Make Logging Safer
On October 18, 2017, a logger was killed in a tragic incident near Mackenzie in northern British Columbia. The operator was using a feller buncher to cut timber on a slope when the machine tipped over backwards, cutting off his…
-
No Child’s Play
They have had enough. More and more teachers are speaking up about a problem that has largely remained under the radar — violence against teachers from students. One morning, a mother popped into the classroom of an elementary school…
-
Precious Cargo
Transporting valuables is a dangerous business. The mounting pressure to stay profitable and competitive aside, the armoured-truck industry’s move towards the controversial “alloff model” has not only raised eyebrows, but also revived the debate of how to keep both the…
-
A Deadly Legacy
The federal government is moving towards a full ban on asbestos and asbestos-containing products by the end of 2017. The ban would align Canada with more than 50 other countries. According to OCRC director Paul Demers, corporate subsidies kept the…
-
Machine over Man
Gone are the days when manual labour drove the bulk of the work in oil and gas exploration. In a post-peak-oil era, in which resources are harder to extract and oil prices continue to plunge, the race towards automation means higher profitability — and less human error.
-
Beyond Coffee and Donuts
A joint health and safety committee (JHSC) is a company’s safety ally. Creating an effective JHSC is an important part of occupational injury prevention and, if done correctly, will yield safety benefits, says David Powers, director of health, safety and…
-
Weed at Work
The legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada came closer to reality on April 13, when the Justin Trudeau government introduced the Cannabis Act, or Bill C-45. While pot users across the country applaud the move, others have raised concerns about the effect that the proposed legislation would have on workplace safety.
-
A Real and Present Danger
Occupational cancers represent more than half of all work-related disease cases in established market economies, and global estimates of fatal occupational diseases put cancer as the top killer after circulatory disease and work accidents. These are some of the grim…
-
Peer-to-Peer
Digital technology has given rise to new business models like Uber and Airbnb. But unlike traditional taxi companies and hotel chains, which are subject to workplace-safety laws, these new kids on the block have largely evaded the regulatory framework. How can legislation play catch-up and bridge the safety gap?
-
Investigating Critical Injuries
When a workplace injury happens in Ontario, the employer’s joint health and safety committee (JHSC) plays a key role in collecting information and conducting a preliminary investigation so that a report can be prepared and sent to the provincial labour…
-
When the Dust Settles
From 1978 to 1979, Jim Hobbs was one of many miners in northern Ontario who inhaled finely ground aluminum dust known as McIntyre Powder, which was believed to protect them from silicosis.
-
Managing Change
Significant changes in a workplace affect the mental and physical health of employees, says a recent study by Toronto-based consulting firm Morneau Shepell. The nationwide survey asked employers and workers about their reactions to major changes like job redesign, downsizing,…
-
Trouble in the Big House
Penitentiaries have always been dangerous workplaces. But violence in Canada’s correctional centres has been on the rise over the past several years, especially in facilities with low staff-to-inmate ratios and high gang activity. Something has to be done to keep workers safe, but how can this be accomplished without infringing on inmates’ rights?
-
Getting Back on One’s Feet
Healthcare providers who treat injured workers with multiple injuries and complex illnesses find the workers’ compensation system and return-to-work (RTW) process “opaque and confusing.” Divergent views on the timing and appropriateness of RTW in these complex cases among healthcare providers…
-
Dark Days
Every year when winter bleaches the landscape and ushers in plummeting temperatures for months on end, many Canadians dread the prospect of shovelling snow from driveways and taking their reluctant dogs out for walks. But for more than one million Canadians, who comprise two to three per cent of the population, the monochrome of winter brings with it the onset of deep, dark moods.
-
Recognizing Mental Trauma
Two unions held a demonstration in Halifax on November 10 to express their support for a provincial bill that would allow presumptive coverage for first responders, correctional officers, nurses, social workers and several other types of professionals who have been…
-
Black Tide
On the evening of July 20, operators in the Husky Energy control room detected certain “pressure anomalies” in sections of one of its oil pipelines spanning the North Saskatchewan River. Although such monitoring “blips” are common during start-up operations, inspection…
-
A Tale of Two Sexes
Men and women are not created equal — women have a higher risk of some musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) than men. That was the message that Dr. Julie Côté, associate professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education…
-
Drawing the Line
The message is unequivocal: sexual harassment in Ontario workplaces will not be tolerated, as the province introduces a bill that extends protections to employees by broadening the definition of workplace harassment and imposing additional obligations on employers to prevent and investigate such incidents.
-
Righting a Wrong
The Ontario Court of Appeal recently awarded $266,000 in damages to a woman who had accused her former employer of mocking and abusing her after she lost her hearing. The court decision, authored by Judge Gloria Epstein and released on…
