On April 3rd, 2006 the Ontario Ministry of Labour announced it would deploy workplace inspectors across the province. These inspectors would be targeting 6,000 workplaces including industrial, health care, retail, office and administrative environments.

According to Ministry of Labour spokesperson Belinda Sutton “the inspectors will be targeting high-risk workplaces in addition to providing information and discussing ergonomic hazards, identifying ergonomic-related issues and taking preventive steps.”

On April 28th, B.C. workers and employers pause at Day of Mourning ceremonies throughout the province to remember and honour those who have lost their lives, been injured or made ill on the job.

The BC Forest Safety Council supports this national day of reflection and its members recommit to ensuring all workers return from work safely everyday to their friends and families.

In R. v. Grant Forest Products Inc. and Wabi Development Corporation, the Ontario Court of Justice recently made a pronouncement on the due diligence defence known as “reasonable belief in mistaken facts.” 

Consequently, the defence of reasonable belief in mistaken facts is important for all professionals working in an industry marked by regulatory compliance.

Self-employment is on the rise in our country, and is the second fastest growing employment demographic in Canada, with approximately 16 per cent of 17 million workers freelancing for their income. The problem is that while self-employment is rising, safety awareness for this group of Canadians is not.

Issues of health and safety are becoming top concerns for businesses. While workplace safety has traditionally been a matter for occupational health and safety regulatory enforcement, on March 31, 2004, as a result of Bill C-45, safety at the workplace became a matter for criminal enforcement as well. 

We all have safety meetings and discussions. These discussions are a chance to focus our thoughts and actions on those important things we need to do to work safely. The trouble is that if we have a lot of safety meetings then they tend to get pretty repetitious and stale. Chances are that the last safety meeting you attended went on much too long, didn’t include enough discussion and even worse, felt like a waste of time to many who were there.

Let’s think about making your next safety discussion: effective, efficient, meaningful and, dare I suggest, engaging and encouraging? Wow! That’s no small order. Here are some quick ideas for making your next safety discussion a lot more interesting and a ton more effective. These approaches really work!

The Court of Appeal for Ontario recently rendered a decision in a prosecution under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) that has broad implications for employers.

The decision in R. v. Dofasco is very important for OHS professionals and all managers responsible for the health and safety of workers to understand and apply in setting and enforcing safe work procedures. An initial reading of the Court of Appeal’s decision may be discouraging. How, ask many employers, can we ever prove the defence of due diligence? That and other issues and implications will be reviewed as we ask, rhetorically, is R. v. Dofasco the death of due diligence?

Can an employer properly use a procedural instruction in lieu of a physical guard on machinery or equipment? Can a deliberate decision by workers not to use such a procedural instruction in itself afford a due diligence defence to a guarding charge? 

In a decision issued by Ontario’s highest court on Nov. 1 2007, these questions received the resounding answer “No!” and all employers received a stern reminder that guarding-related requirements in occupational health and safety legislation must be strictly complied with.

Many employers and workers across the country use representatives to assist them with their dealings with their respective compensation boards. Representatives assist with revenue issues, including rate group classification, registration, claim reporting, return to work and appeals. 

Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) stated that, effective Nov. 1, 2007, it will not accept as representatives, individuals who have not applied for a paralegal licence and who are not otherwise exempt from the licensing requirement. As of that date, worker and employer representatives are required to provide the WSIB with confirmation of their licensing status for all WSIB matters.