Section
Features
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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…
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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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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.
