Features
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Sound Advice
By Jean Lian Come July 1, a new noise regulation under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to beef up worker protection against noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) will come into effect. The new regulation replaces and extends the noise-protection…
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On the Road
By Danny Kucharsky Distraction, fatigue and human errors have been cited as the causes of numerous collisions in the transportation sector. For trucking companies and businesses that operate fleets of vehicles, what role can semi-autonomous technology play in enhancing the…
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Out of the Shadows
The passing of legislation presuming that post-traumatic stress disorder among Ontario’s first responders is work-related points to a growing recognition across Canada that occupational injuries are not just physical.
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When a Cuppa’s Not Enough
Workplace fatigue came under the spotlight of late after two recent developments in the transportation sector were found to be fatigue-related. An investigation report published on March 14 by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada concluded that fatigue had likely…
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In a Split Second
A workplace accident cannot be undone, and the resulting injury can have lifelong ramifications on those who live to tell the tale.
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The Wait Is Over
The passing of Bill 6, or the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, in Alberta’s legislature on December 10 has put an end to the province’s status as the only jurisdiction in Canada that exempted the agricultural sector…
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Hand in Hand
The debate on the role of unions in influencing workplace safety is as old as unions are. Organized labour, by serving as employee advocates, may have a positive influence on job safety after all, according to a recent study.
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Put to the Test
A recent case that the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal (BCHRT) heard in Prince George has brought to light employers’ dilemmas and oh&s repercussions associated with accommodation issues involving the growing use of medical marijuana across Canada. While employers are…
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Shifting Winds
In an energy-hungry world, power derived from a renewable resource is a good thing. But a recent study by researchers from Quebec has highlighted a gap in both safety practices and awareness of the occupational risks associated with working at wind turbines, which is growing in Canada. How can we harness wind power without throwing caution to the wind?
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Active on Wheels
The adverse health effects stemming from sedentary work are well documented. For some workplaces, equipping an office with standing desks or treadmill workstations may not be practical or feasible — not to mention the prohibitive costs of replacing conventional workstations…
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Ties that Bind
Your workplace has a health and safety program in place; the employees are well trained and aware of the hazards in the workplace. With an impressive safety record, employees can be proud of your commitment to safety. But what about the contractors that a company engages?
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The Weakest Links
On June 16, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour (MOL) started public consultations on how the Labour Relations Act, 1995 and the Employment Standards Act, 2000 could be amended to keep pace with the changing needs of workers and employers in the…
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Back to the Future
Technology moves so fast that it can sometimes be hard to keep up with it. In the world of safety training, digital shifts mean that courses are being offered in new ways. One such development that has the potential to…
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Spiralling Down
New research suggests that seriously injured workers tend to have shorter lifespans and that those who are permanently impaired following workplace incidents in their younger years have the highest risk of dying early.
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Digging in Foreign Lands
Canada’s mining industry accounts for nearly half of the
world’s mining and mineral-exploration activity. But who holds Canadian operations abroad accountable when workplace-safety violations occur, and what standards are they required to live up to?
Claims of Canadian companies disregarding the rights of foreign workers and changes to Canada’s corporate social responsibility strategy are throwing a spotlight on the way our extractive sector does business abroad. -
Putting Stress on Stress
Many Canadians feel stressed out at work, according to a preliminary report from the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). In April, the Commission will publish its full report on mental-health indicators, which classifies workplace stress as an area of…
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Impairment Versus Intrusion: Drugs and Alcohol in Safety-Sensitive Positions
Nearly two years have passed since the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 30 v. Irving Pulp & Paper Ltd. that the mandatory, random alcohol testing of unionized employees in safety-sensitive positions at…
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Safety Goes Wireless
Today, there is an app for everything. Apps with workplace safety functions are no exception — they are becoming must-have tools for safety professionals and workers alike. “Apps are definitely a big part of today’s safety environment,” says Jonathan Brun,…
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Blood on Scrubs
A recent spate of violence against healthcare workers in Ontario and British Columbia has revived the debate on whether healthcare institutions are doing enough to protect employees on the job. On December 29, a registered nurse was beaten and critically…
