Workplace Safety is an ongoing process. Come back often for update to date information including tips, workplace safety legislation news, updates and more!
“Marijuana use is incompatible with working in a safety sensitive environment. Until there is clear evidence and complete understanding of what level of impairment is deemed to be considered “safe”, a zero tolerance policy regarding the presence of marijuana is the only safe choice,” says Cameron MacGillivray, President and CEO of Enform.
Water makes up at least two-thirds of the body. We need to drink plenty of it to ensure that our body functions properly by keeping joints and eyes lubricated, the skin healthy and digestion functioning as it should.
The main purpose of the Act is to protect workers from health & safety hazards on the job. It sets out duties for all workplace parties, and rights for workers. It establishes procedures for dealing with workplace hazards and provides for enforcement of the law where compliance has not been achieved voluntarily. Fundamental to the successful working of OHSA is the workplace Internal Responsibility System (IRS).
"Workplace safety training programs are a necessity across all industries. In addition to reducing the amount of injuries in the workplace, businesses will benefit from fewer worker’s compensation claims (which will result in less paperwork and lower insurance premiums), as well as higher employee productivity and morale. And, of course, these programs are required by law."
A visit from the Ministry of Labour can be daunting. Remember that the MOL inspector can enter your workplace unannounced, at any time. Inspectors’ powers include being permitted to speak to anyone in the workplace, look at training documents, equipment maintenance and make copies, as well as look at any equipment or machinery.
If you had to choose between two pilots—one was trained, the other not—which one would you choose? But what if there was no “up-front” cost for the untrained pilot? You still wouldn’t do it? Yet many business owners don’t recognize the importance of employee training.
Ontario’s Ministry of Labour has a new information-sharing agreement with the federal government to protect the rights of temporary foreign workers (TFW).
An employer will likely be obligated to accommodate an employee in such ways as allowing a leave of absence while the employee is undergoing marijuana treatment, or providing alternative forms of work that do not endanger the safety of anyone. It is important for employers to understand that they have a broad obligation to investigate and make efforts to accommodate employees using prescription medications, including medical marijuana.
The ground is starting to thaw and in some places, construction season has already begun. With the unpredictable temperatures this year an early Spring spells the onset of a new season and while it brings warm weather and exciting plans, it also triggers the onset of spring cleaning rituals in workplaces and homes.
Unfortunately, everyone differs on how much they value and commit to safety, regardless of how many trainings, safety meetings, or briefings they attend. Using contractors who assess their own employees using safety tests can help address this challenge, as well as examining the commitment and involvement of their leadership when it comes to safety.
Do you use the seat belts in your personal vehicle and in a company on-road or off-road vehicle? If you answered NO to either, you could be considered a menace to both your co-workers, your family, and yourself.
In reality, only one out of 10 employers has what is a “credible” lockout program that goes beyond simple compliance. Another 60 percent of employers do their best to meet the requirements. The final 30 percent have no lockout program whatsoever.
Building and maintaining a safe workplace should be an ongoing process for all employers, not simply a list of things that can be checked off once and forgotten. Because safety is a serious matter of life or death, fostering a successful, proactive safety culture requires the utmost commitment and dedication from every member within an organization.
What you don't know can get you hurt, and what you think you know can also get you hurt. Pretending not to know is like playing ostrich; stick your head in the sand and the problem doesn’t exist, only you know it does!
The Canada Labour Code requires each employer to have a health and safety representative for each workplace with fewer than 20 employees....
Approximately 6% of the Canadian workforce falls under the OH&S jurisdiction of the federal government. The remaining 94% of Canadian workers fall under the legislation of the provincial or territorial government where they work.
Employers are responsible for providing employees with work and workplaces free from recognized hazards, including cold stress, which cause or are likely to cause death or serious bodily harm. Employers should train workers on the hazards of the job and safety measures, e.g. engineering controls, personal protective equipment and safe work practices that will protect their health and safety.
Many employers are wondering how Bill 132 affects them and their workplaces; are worried that this amendment puts additional obligations on them that they have no way of meeting. This is not entirely new legislation, it is an expansion, or enhancement to the original Bill 168 and explicitly addresses workplace sexual harassment. It come on the heels of a very public trial of Canadian radio host Jian Ghomeshi.
Workplace Safety Group is honoured to be recognized by occupational health and safety professionals in Canada in a survey conducted with the readers of Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) Magazine as Best In-Class Training Provider.
Your spidey senses should be tingling because some kind of investigation should be taking place soon. If not, consider what happened when an employee at CBC complained about Jian Ghomeshi and it was ignored...
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