Employers must take reasonable care to maintain a healthy, safe workplace at all times under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including during a pandemic. However, at the same time, workers have the right to refuse work if they believe it will endanger themselves or other workers. This is a basic worker right entrenched in our prevention system.
While the right to refuse unsafe work is always a possibility, that is all the more reason for employers to keep their workplaces safe to ensure such refusals are ultimately short-lived.
Falling from heights is one of the biggest causes of workplace injuries and deaths. According to Canadian Civil Engineering Magazine, in 2018 33.5% of all deaths in construction were due to falls. Due to the severity of accidents involving heights, it is important to work safely when working at heights.
Workplace Safety Group is open for business in a preventative capacity, ensuring that our clients who are essential to our supply chains continue to have access to a quality training provider. This allows us to meet our customers’ demands pertaining to training alternate or new staff members to maintain their critical operations as they struggle with staffing challenges under rapidly changing conditions. It is vital that we continue to provide resources to these organizations.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to comply with health and safety standards and regulations and, under Section 25 (2)(h) requires employers to provide employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
Across the nation, companies are considering the possible long-term effects of isolation due to COVID-19 and are planning safe, exciting team building activities that can recreate bonds that may be stressed during the epidemic.
The World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, leading many countries around the world to declare a lockdown. However, while many people may be working remotely, employees that are still mandated to show up for work must take the proper precautions in order to prevent and limit the spread of the virus.
If you have any employees who are drivers or are required to do a lot of driving as part of their role, supplying them with a work vehicle means that you know what they’re driving is safe and reliable, which reduces the risk of accidents.
According to the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada, more than 950 workers die on the job each year. In addition, there are over 250,000 accepted claims for lost time annually as a result of injuries and illness acquired in the workplace.
“Discriminatory action against any persons or communities because of an association with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), perceived or otherwise, is prohibited by the Ontario Human Rights Code. The coronavirus is not isolated to people of any particular ethnic origin, place of origin or race.”
Get an evaluation of your workplace and get on track with safety and compliance.
