Features
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Death by Design
On the morning of September 5, 2008, a plumber was called to A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. in Langley, British Columbia for the second time in as many days. There, he found an intake pipe at the bottom of a pump shed completely blocked and…
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Falling Partitions: Plus or Minus
Within a couple months of relocating to an open-concept office space last October, Michael De Monte had noticed significant changes in the social dynamics among employees.
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Rough Trade
From 1982 to 1998, Gary Leon Ridgway preyed on sex workers in King County, Washington. Ridgway picked up the women, took them back to his house and strangled them, later writing in his defendant’s statement that his goal was to kill as many sex…
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Warming Trend
There is no other way to say it – Canadian winters are cold. Although this year is so far proving an exception to the rule, it is best not to assume “now” is forever when it comes to necessary protections against the elements.
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Whiff of Danger
When the smoke cleared following an explosion and fire at a crude oil refinery in Regina in early October, 36 workers had suffered injuries ranging from burns and smoke inhalation to minor bruises, sprains and abrasions. Thirteen employees required hospitalization.…
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Removing the driver from the driving equation
The thought of hopping into a car and being shuttled to one’s destination without even having to steer sounds like a technological fantasy.
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Silenced Out
Saskatchewan’s new Public Interest Disclosure Act is meant to protect whistleblowers from job-related reprisals, but will also bar public sector employees from bringing concerns about suspected wrongdoings to the media. Are these “protections”…
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Toxic farewell a signal to “face” concerns
A former employee of Whole Foods Market in Toronto who posted a tirade online blasting his ex-employer was not building the most positive foundation for future job opportunities, workplace health experts suggest.
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Social Unrest
Occupational health and safety is never so complete that it cannot benefit from a reboot. The central message of continuous improvement should remain steadfast, but how that message is delivered need not.
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What Lies Beneath
Excavating and trench work can be like diving into murky water: no one knows exactly what lies below the surface and will never know without getting wet. But unlike swimmers, equipment operators and workers with a job to do cannot opt out of…
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Under the Radar
Public transit workers in Toronto may soon be subject to random alcohol and drug testing as the city’s transit service was given the green light to expand testing for employees in safety-sensitive positions. While specifics about how the program will…
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Getting Comfy
Yet another survey; yet another disappointing result. In July, Kimberly-Clark Professional in Roswell, Georgia released findings from an online survey on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Of the 119 people taking part, 89 per cent reported having observed…
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Sign of the Times
Signage in work environments is designed to help alert workers to potential hazards — not create them. That very problem recently surfaced in British Columbia where there has been a proliferation of commercial signs, posters and banners on utility poles.…
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In the Eye
On its own, a disaster can exact a heavy toll. But single events are often exacerbated by compounding occurrences, creating a line of falling dominoes that can combine to drive human, financial and property costs higher still.
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Mould growth potential in the aftermath of storms
It may have been a flood; perhaps even a hurricane. The potential for harm from temporary fury unleashed is clear: downed communication devices, damaged infrastructure, and losses of productivity and resources.
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Growth Experience
It was the early spring of 1985 when John Gilchrist ventured to Horsefly, British Columbia for his first-ever tree planting contract. After being dropped off by the contractor, who promised to return with more supplies in a week, Gilchrist and…
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SHUTEYE STANDARDS NEEDED
Doctor, doctor – get yourself some sleep. More shuteye for physicians is in order, notes a public release on a recent editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). Drs. Noni MacDonald, Paul Hébert, Ken Flegel and Matthew Stanbrook suggest…
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Keep A-head of Hazards
Welding carries with it a host of potential hazards that demand careful consideration even before arc meets metal. Depending on the welding process employed, issues such as ergonomics, noise, electric shock, bright light, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, toxic fumes and gases,…
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COURT CLARIFIES JHSC COVERAGE
The Court of Appeal for Ontario has weighed in on the meaning of “regularly employed” workers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and that opinion may have implications for when joint health and safety committees (JHSCs) are required. The…
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BEYOND ESTABLISHED BORDERS
Representatives for a popular vacation resort in Ontario plan to again appeal a directive for the business to notify the Ministry of Labour (MOL) of all critical injury and fatality incidents involving non-workers. “It’s the absurdity of the whole thing,”…
