OHS Insider

BENEFITS

Powered aerial work platforms, such as scissor, boom and vertical lifts, pose a number of hazards to workers. For example, they can tip over if used improperly on uneven ground or contact overhead power lines. So if your workers use powered aerial work platforms, it’s critical that you have a safe work procedure for such equipment.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Adapt this model safe work procedure for use in your workplace.  It should be consistent  your general OHS policies and procedures and compliant with your jurisdiction’s OHS laws as they relate to powered aerial work platforms. All workers

BENEFITS

WHMIS is designed to protect workers from the risks posed by hazardous substances (called “controlled products” under the WHMIS laws). The key components of a WHMIS program are:

• Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDSs, which are intended to give workers the information they need about a particular controlled product, such as what hazards it poses and the PPE necessary for working with the product;
• Workplace labels on controlled products, which give workers the key information for those products; and
• Worker training on the elements of WHMIS.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Use this checklist to ensure that your company’s

BENEFITS

One the JHSC’s most important functions is making recommendations to management on safety. For example, the JHSC may recommend that workers be retrained on fall protection if it notes that workers haven’t been complying with the fall protection rules. Or it may recommend that new safety rules be implemented or safety equipment be purchased.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Tailor this model form for your company and the OHS laws in your jurisdiction and give it to your JHSC. They can use it when making safety recommendations to management. The form documents the area of concern, the committee’s recommendation

By the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association

Primary Source

Before you use this tool, you may want to read the further analysis presented here.

BENEFITS

One of the simplest ways to protect workers from get hurt on the job is with good housekeeping practices. For example, keeping floors clean and free of clutter will help reduce the likelihood of slips, trips and falls.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Adapt this checklist and use it to inspect your workplace and evaluate the adequacy of your housekeeping efforts.

OTHER RESOURCES:

BENEFITS

Protecting workers from exposure to the cold is just as important as protecting them from exposure to the heat. Workers exposed to extreme cold, snow and ice can develop injuries and illnesses such as frost bite and hypothermia. So it’s critical that workers understand what cold stress is, the symptoms of common cold stress-related injuries and illnesses, appropriate first aid and—most importantly—how to protect themselves from cold stress.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Tailor this handout to comply with your company’s OHS program and the OHS law in your jurisdiction and give it to all workers who may be

Primary Source

Before you use this tool, you may want to read the further analysis presented here.

Benefits

Employers have a duty to minimize ergonomics-related hazards in the workplace for two reasons. First, injuries caused by poor design, repetitive motion and excessive force or vibration—often called musculoskeletal injuries or MSIs—account for a high percentage of all workplace injuries. Second, the OHS laws in all Canadian jurisdictions—either expressly or implicitly—require employers to protect workers from ergonomics-related hazards.

How to Use This Tool

Give this survey to workers to gather important information on any symptoms of MSIs they may be experiencing

BENEFITS

Worker who work alone are especially vulnerable, particularly to workplace violence. They often don’t have direct contact with co-workers or supervisors. And they may be working in circumstances in which emergency assistance isn’t readily available to them if they get injured, sick or are otherwise endangered. Thus, the OHS laws require employers to take steps to protect workers working alone.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Adapt this model working alone risk assessment form, which was based on one created by WorkSafeNB, to be consistent with your company’s operations and other workplace safety policies and with the requirements in your

BENEFITS

In a perfect work, every job every worker did would be subject to a hazard assessment—but that’s not always practical or realistic. So instead, you should identify which jobs really need a hazard assessment or job safety analysis. To identify and develop an inventory of these so-called “critical jobs,” you should consider the following factors:

• The frequency and severity of incidents associated with the job
• The potential for serious injuries, illnesses or fatalities
• How new a job is in the workplace
• Changes to the job that may have created new hazards
• Whether a job is performed so Infrequently

BENEFITS

Ideally, employers should try to eliminate workplace hazards or protect workers from them using engineering or administrative controls. But if neither is possible, requiring the use of appropriate PPE may be the only option. So it’s important to have a PPE policy for your workplace that spells out the responsibilities of management, supervisors and workers as to PPE use.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Adapt this model PPE policy, which was based on one created by WorkSafeNB, to be consistent with your company’s operations and other workplace safety policies. Give it to all employees, including senior management, supervisors, workers

BENEFITS

Powered aerial work platforms, such as scissor, boom and vertical lifts, pose a number of hazards to workers. For example, they can tip over if used improperly on uneven ground or contact overhead power lines. So if your workers use powered aerial work platforms, it’s critical that you have a safe work procedure for such equipment.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Adapt this model safe work procedure for use in your workplace.  It should be consistent  your general OHS policies and procedures and compliant with your jurisdiction’s OHS laws as they relate to powered aerial work platforms. All workers

BENEFITS

WHMIS is designed to protect workers from the risks posed by hazardous substances (called “controlled products” under the WHMIS laws). The key components of a WHMIS program are:

• Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDSs, which are intended to give workers the information they need about a particular controlled product, such as what hazards it poses and the PPE necessary for working with the product;
• Workplace labels on controlled products, which give workers the key information for those products; and
• Worker training on the elements of WHMIS.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Use this checklist to ensure that your company’s

BENEFITS

One the JHSC’s most important functions is making recommendations to management on safety. For example, the JHSC may recommend that workers be retrained on fall protection if it notes that workers haven’t been complying with the fall protection rules. Or it may recommend that new safety rules be implemented or safety equipment be purchased.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Tailor this model form for your company and the OHS laws in your jurisdiction and give it to your JHSC. They can use it when making safety recommendations to management. The form documents the area of concern, the committee’s recommendation

By the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association

Primary Source

Before you use this tool, you may want to read the further analysis presented here.

BENEFITS

One of the simplest ways to protect workers from get hurt on the job is with good housekeeping practices. For example, keeping floors clean and free of clutter will help reduce the likelihood of slips, trips and falls.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Adapt this checklist and use it to inspect your workplace and evaluate the adequacy of your housekeeping efforts.

OTHER RESOURCES:

BENEFITS

Protecting workers from exposure to the cold is just as important as protecting them from exposure to the heat. Workers exposed to extreme cold, snow and ice can develop injuries and illnesses such as frost bite and hypothermia. So it’s critical that workers understand what cold stress is, the symptoms of common cold stress-related injuries and illnesses, appropriate first aid and—most importantly—how to protect themselves from cold stress.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Tailor this handout to comply with your company’s OHS program and the OHS law in your jurisdiction and give it to all workers who may be

Primary Source

Before you use this tool, you may want to read the further analysis presented here.

Benefits

Employers have a duty to minimize ergonomics-related hazards in the workplace for two reasons. First, injuries caused by poor design, repetitive motion and excessive force or vibration—often called musculoskeletal injuries or MSIs—account for a high percentage of all workplace injuries. Second, the OHS laws in all Canadian jurisdictions—either expressly or implicitly—require employers to protect workers from ergonomics-related hazards.

How to Use This Tool

Give this survey to workers to gather important information on any symptoms of MSIs they may be experiencing

BENEFITS

Worker who work alone are especially vulnerable, particularly to workplace violence. They often don’t have direct contact with co-workers or supervisors. And they may be working in circumstances in which emergency assistance isn’t readily available to them if they get injured, sick or are otherwise endangered. Thus, the OHS laws require employers to take steps to protect workers working alone.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Adapt this model working alone risk assessment form, which was based on one created by WorkSafeNB, to be consistent with your company’s operations and other workplace safety policies and with the requirements in your

BENEFITS

In a perfect work, every job every worker did would be subject to a hazard assessment—but that’s not always practical or realistic. So instead, you should identify which jobs really need a hazard assessment or job safety analysis. To identify and develop an inventory of these so-called “critical jobs,” you should consider the following factors:

• The frequency and severity of incidents associated with the job
• The potential for serious injuries, illnesses or fatalities
• How new a job is in the workplace
• Changes to the job that may have created new hazards
• Whether a job is performed so Infrequently

BENEFITS

Ideally, employers should try to eliminate workplace hazards or protect workers from them using engineering or administrative controls. But if neither is possible, requiring the use of appropriate PPE may be the only option. So it’s important to have a PPE policy for your workplace that spells out the responsibilities of management, supervisors and workers as to PPE use.

HOW TO USE THE TOOL

Adapt this model PPE policy, which was based on one created by WorkSafeNB, to be consistent with your company’s operations and other workplace safety policies. Give it to all employees, including senior management, supervisors, workers

Question from a member:

I have one question about the new training requirements in Bill 160.  Regarding the jhsc. . . . currently it's stated that only the co-chairs need to be certified. I would consider this specific health & safety training. Under Bill 160, will this certification be required for all members of the jhsc? (not just the co-chairs) Tina Borghese <tborghese@fischerca.com

******** OHSI's response: Good question, Tina. Bill 160 would change the OHS Act (Sec. 7.6(1)(a)) to give the MOL authority to require certification of JHSC members. When and if Bill 160 is officially approved by the end of the current Assembly session on June

According to CCOHS, an estimated 60% of the workers killed in confined spaces were would-be rescuers. For example, of the four workers killed in a BC barge, three entered the confined space as rescuers. So it’s hardly a surprise that OHS confined space regulations require measures to ensure the safety of not only the workers who enter the confined space to perform work operations but also the ones who might have to go in to rescue them. Having an effective emergency plan for confined spaces is the key to protecting both of these groups. We’ll explain the confined space emergency plan

On Oct. 1, 2008, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) launched a two-year pilot project offering free online access to its OHS standards to increase accessibility and improve safety in Canadian workplaces. Registered users could view OHS standards referenced by their jurisdiction’s OHS laws through the CSA View Access page and links on the various workers’ compensation boards. But users couldn’t copy them or print them out.

Free access was valuable because it gave stakeholders a chance to review a standard to determine if it applied to them before buying the whole standard. It was also appropriate given that some

Watch the recorded webinar now

I’m going to try out my new Julia Child approach to OHS compliance with a recipe favorite from the WHMIS food groups—MSDS Liability Lasagna. INGREDIENTS 1 Batch hazardous chemicals—any quantity and assortment of controlled products will do 1 Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each chemical 1 unfilled 3-ring MSDS binder 1 3-ring hole punch 1 office (must include a doorknob and at least 1 lock to secure it) 1 key for each lock INSTRUCTIONS Step 1: Using your hole punch, punch 3 holes into the side of each MSDS Step 2: Insert all punched MSDSs into the MSDS binder Step 3: Once assembled, put the MSDS binder into the

All employers in Canada have a duty to prevent and protect workers from violence. The OHS laws impose this obligation in one of two ways. In seven jurisdictions—Fed, AB, BC, MB, NS, PEI and SK—the OHS laws specifically say employers must take steps to address workplace violence. (Québec requires employers to prevent “workplace psychological harassment,” including physical violence.) In the remaining jurisdictions, this duty is implied by the OHS law’s “general duty clause.” Ontario currently falls in the latter group—but its status is likely to change soon. The government recently introduced a bill that would add new language to the

a home office safety checklist created by Alberta Employment and Immigration that you can adapt to conduct a hazard assessment of a telecommuter’s home office.

We all know about the dangers of using a cell phone while driving. But if you think driving a car while talking on a cell phone is dangerous, imagine the hazards of operating a forklift, working on an assembly line or performing other safety-sensitive jobs while chatting away on a cell phone. In fact, many workplace incidents occur because workers weren’t concentrating on the task at hand.

Cell phones aren’t the only source of distractions but they’ve made the problem much worse. So if you’re a safety coordinator, you need to restrict the use of cell phones by workers at

Warn Employees of Office Party Alcohol

The truth of the above words, which come from a judge in the Northwest Territories, where mining is a key industry, is beyond dispute. Mining is and has historically been highly hazardous work. Miners frequently suffer serious occupational injuries and illnesses. But many miners suffer an even worse fate. According to the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, the mining, quarrying and oil well industries suffered 76 fatalities in 2006. In fact, one of the worst Canadian workplace safety tragedies happened at a mine: In the 1992 Westray disaster, 26 workers died in an explosion in a Nova Scotia coal mine.

So it’s no surprise that mining is one of the most intensely regulated industries in terms of workplace health and safety. This edition of FOCUS ON looks at the common hazards miners face, discusses increased regulation of mine safety and tells you how the provinces and territories address mine safety and hazards in their laws. And there’s a chart on page 15 spelling out the principal source of mine health and safety regulation in each jurisdiction.

Defining Our Terms
When we use the term “mine” in this article, we’re referring to a workplace engaged in the exploration for and extraction of materials such as coal, metals, precious or semi‑precious minerals, industrial minerals and oil sands, including underground, strip, open pit or quarry operations as well as any related processing plants, storage facilities or waste disposal facilities.

THE HAZARDS & INJURIES
In 2004, the mining and mineral processing industries employed 369,000 workers. This total includes men and women who work in actual mining, as well as in related jobs, such as smelting and refining. All of these workers face an array of hazards on the job. According to the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, mine workers typically face the following types of hazards:

Biological. Exposure to micro-organisms or toxins, such as mould or fungi, viruses or bacteria, that can cause acute or chronic human health effects.

Chemical. Chemical hazards resulting from exposure to an element or compound, such as silica dust, solvents and asbestos, that could cause negative health effects.

Physical. Environmental conditions, including exposures to excessive noise, ionizing and nonionizing radiation, inadequate lighting and heat and cold stress, that can harm health. Hazards in underground mines also include the threat of a collapse and other risks associated with confined spaces.

Miners face a relatively high risk of death, especially when they work underground. But the more common threat is injury. According to Ontario’s WSIB, miners typically suffer the following kinds of injuries:

- Sprains, including back sprains;
- Contusions and crushing bruises;
- Fractures; and
- Cuts and lacerations.

Miners are also exposed to numerous forms of occupational diseases and even ergonomic perils, such as repetitive use disorders.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
The mining industry and government have always recognized the hazards inherent in the work. But government scrutiny and regulation of health and safety in this industry has intensified. This increased scrutiny may be the result of Westray; some of it may be in response to technological advances. But what is clear is that several provinces have recently stepped up their regulation of mine safety. For example, Ontario’s updated mine safety regulations went into effect in Oct. 2007. (For more information click here.) The new regulations reflect the latest developments in the mining industry and affect:

- Training;
- Vehicle safety;
- Underground storage and transportation of explosives;
- and Elevators.

Nowhere is increased regulation of mine safety more evident than in BC. And as is too often the case, tragedies were the impetus for the following changes:

Updates to the BC mine safety code. On May 17, 2006, four people were killed at a water sampling shed located at the toe of a reclaimed dump at the Sullivan Mine in Kimberley, BC. The inquest into the Sullivan Mine incident made numerous recommendations for improving safety in mines. The province included these recommendations in revisions to the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines enacted under the Mines Act. The Code is the primary vehicle for regulation of safety in BC’s mining industry. It sets standards and requirements to protect the health and safety of workers and the public, as well as the environment, from dangers arising out of mining activities. The Sullivan Mine Code amendments include:
- Increased reporting responsibilities for managers in the event of an incident resulting in a fatality or any “dangerous occurrence”;
- A clearer and more precise definition of “confined space”;
- Enhanced safe work procedures for confined spaces; and
- Additional requirements related to the prevention of respiratory hazards and the procedures to be followed when a mine ceases operation.

Release of a best practices guidebook. Four workers—including two who’d been on the job for less than three days—were killed in separate incidents in BC’s quarries in 2007. So in January 2008, BC released a best practices guidebook entitled, Health & Safety: A Practical Guide for Aggregate Operations. The guidebook provides useful and practical guidelines to help workers, supervisors and managers maintain a safe and healthy workplace. It’s part of the province’s broader prevention strategy, which also includes:
- A directive to the aggregates industry to prove that all new workers received appropriate training and orientation;

An operator refused to drive an aircraft de-icing vehicle because a notice on the machine said the brakes weren’t working. The operator also claimed there had been other problems with that vehicle model, including jerky brakes. The safety officer investigated and found no danger; the brakes were working fine and the notice had been put on the machine by mistake. The arbitrator didn’t fault the operator for not knowing that the notice had been left on the machine by mistake. But he agreed with the safety officer that the vehicle was safe. “There was no evidence that the [company] took

Sec. 50 of the OHS Act bans employers from firing workers in reprisal for exercising their OHS rights. A security guard claimed he was fired in reprisal for complaining about being harassed by his supervisor. Although protection from harassment has been part of the OHS law since Bill 168 took effect on June 15, 2010, the alleged harassment in this case occurred before that. And since the right to be free from harassment didn’t exist yet, the Board ruled that the guard didn’t have a valid case of reprisal for exercising an OHS right [Barton v. Commissionaires (Great Lakes), [2011]

An employee, who was a member of the JHSC, engaged in a work refusal. Less than a month later, he was fired. Another employee and member of the JHSC tried to help the first employee with regard to the work refusal and she too was fired. The employees filed a grievance, arguing that they’d been fired in retaliation for exercising their rights under the OHS Act. The company didn’t respond to the grievance by the deadline required in the Act. So the Board was forced to accept the employees’ version of what happened. It ordered the company to reinstate the

A city reassigned a worker from Radiation Supervisor to Shift Supervisor. The worker filed a grievance, claiming that he’d been reassigned in retaliation for safety issues he’d raised about the city’s handling of radioactive waste. The Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled that the reassignment wasn’t retaliatory. The worker had complained that the Radiation Supervisor position wasn’t a one-person job and he couldn’t complete all the required tasks for that position. Thus, he was reassigned. There was no evidence that he was reassigned because of his safety complaints, which the city had, in fact, considered and, where appropriate, taken steps to

If there’s an accident at your workplace, your first instinct might be to clean up the mess and get operations back on track as soon as possible. This is especially true if the accident appears minor and your workplace is a store, restaurant, hospital or other establishment frequented by members of the public. Unfortunately, immediate cleanups can get you into big trouble. That’s because the OHS laws of every province impose a duty not to disturb the scene of an accident until a health and safety

A horse farm worker filed a complaint, claiming that he was fired in retaliation for seeking compliance with the OHS Act. But the complaint was vague and lacked specific details. So the Labour Relations Board ordered the worker to state in writing by a set deadline the specific acts he undertook to get the farm to comply with the law and why he thought retaliation for these acts was part of the farm’s motivation for firing him. Otherwise, the complaint would be dismissed [Holder v. 1022248 Ontario Ltd., [2008] O.L.R.D. No. 3325, Aug. 12, 2008].

A fork lift operator had had several incidents. She’d been warned and temporarily demoted on three separate occasions. After yet another incident, the employer permanently demoted the worker. The union filed a grievance. The arbitrator concluded that the demotion was appropriate. The employer had taken many steps to try to make the worker a safe fork lift operator. But those steps failed and there was no reason to believe that lesser discipline would make the worker a safe driver now [Butcher Engineering Enterprises Ltd. v National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada, Local 195, [2009] CanLII 28393

An employee was suspended after he was arrested. When the criminal charges were dropped, he asked to be reinstated, but the employer refused. So the employee filed a complaint accusing the employer of suspending him because, in a safety training orientation, he’d pointed out flaws in the protective equipment it supplied. The Labour Relations Board dismissed his complaint, ruling that there was no evidence that the employee’s suspension was a reprisal for his comments. In fact, there was no evidence that the employer even knew about the employee’s safety concerns [Czerniak v. Ontario (Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services),

With warnings about the deadly Hantavirus posted all over the country, a worker refused to clean walkways that were strewn with dead rodents and rodent feces. He was also worried that lead paint or asbestos would flake off the structures around the walkways. The health and safety officer found no danger. The worker appealed, but the appeals officer agreed with the safety officer. Among other things, he noted that the lead chips were unlikely to get ground into a fine powder and that the worker had adequate PPE, including a half-face respirator with a HEPA filter [Genereux and

You all know about C-45. But there’s another important new criminal law that’s been flying under the radar.  It’s called C-13 and, like C-45, it turns certain OHS violations into potential crimes. C-13 took effect on September 15, 2004. The reason you might not know about it is that it’s primarily a corporate stock fraud law. But it spills over into other areas, including workplace health and safety. So you need to be aware of the law and what to do about it.
We’ll explain how C-13 affects you and how to protect your company.

C-13 Protects Whistleblowers

It used to be that when workers got injured on the job, they were suffering from physical injuries. But our understanding of workplace injury and illness has changed to include mental conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. Similarly, these ailments are typically caused not by hazardous chemicals, machines and other physical dangers contained in the workplace but by an unhealthy psychological climate where hazards include workplace violence, bullying and mental stress. This expanded view of workplace hazards and injuries has severe financial consequences for companies. Workers are filing workers’ comp claims—and in some cases, lawsuits—over these mental injuries.

According to Fire Prevention Canada, the key to correctly using a fire extinguisher is the mnemonic device “PASS”:

1. Pull the pin. Some units require the releasing of a lock latch, pressing a puncture lever, inversion or other motion.
2. Aim the extinguisher nozzle at the base of the fire.
3. Squeeze or press the handle.
4. Sweep the extinguisher from side-to-side at the base of the fire and discharge the contents of the

By Fred Leafloor, CRSP, CHSC, CRM

This article is the first in a series providing the author’s insight into the changing communications role of the safety professional. Much of a safety professional’s effectiveness is determined by his or her ability to clearly articulate important ideas in a manner and in the business language that an operations-oriented management/supervision team can accept and adapt for use within their own roles. As an organization’s health and safety performance matures, safety professionals must change their approaches and communications styles to maintain the effectiveness of their messaging.

This series of articles assumes that the safety

Include language in your company’s workplace violence and harassment policy that expressly bars workers—and visitors—from bringing weapons to work and from possessing and using weapons in your workplace. The policy should also include a broad definition of “weapon” that covers items such as knives, hand guns, stun guns, rifles, box cutters and police-type batons. And make sure to post signs at entrances to the workplace as well as inside stating that weapons are banned.

Banning weapons won’t eliminate the risk of workplace violence, of course. Workers who intend to commit premeditated acts of violence are unlikely to be deterred by

Just how widespread is workplace violence? Consider this: Nearly two-thirds of human resources professionals recently surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) said they had experienced some form of violence at their organization since January 2000. Most of the time the violence was limited to verbal threats and inappropriate language. But sometimes it took more severe forms, including physical assaults, stabbings and shootings. While most of the survey respondents were American, Canada is hardly a haven from workplace violence. On the contrary, only three other countries experience workplace violence incidents more often than Canada, according to a recent

Employers across Canada are struggling to find a solution to the problem of workplace violence. One popular approach is to adopt a so-called "zero tolerance" policy. Zero tolerance has a lot of appeal because it’s a claim to the moral high ground and makes a company feel like it’s taking a real stand. But is it really an effective way to combat workplace violence and harassment? This article will try to answer that question. It’ll examine what zero tolerance means, whether it’s legally enforceable, what its limitations are (as a practical policy) and how to overcome them. There’s also a

Just how widespread is workplace violence? Consider this: Nearly two-thirds of human resources professionals recently surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) said that they had experienced some form of violence at their organization since January 2000. Most of the time the violence was limited to verbal threats and inappropriate language. But sometimes it took more severe forms, including physical assaults, stabbings and shootings. While most of the survey respondents were American, Canada is hardly a haven from workplace violence. On the contrary, only three other countries experience workplace violence incidents more often than Canada.

Zero tolerance has

Just how widespread is workplace violence? Consider this: Nearly two-thirds of human resources professionals recently surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) said they had experienced some form of violence at their organization since January 2000. Most of the time the violence was limited to verbal threats and inappropriate language. But sometimes it took more severe forms, including physical assaults, stabbings and shootings. While most of the survey respondents were American, Canada is hardly a haven from workplace violence. On the contrary, only three other countries experience workplace violence incidents more often than Canada, according to a recent International Labour Organization study.

The YWCHSB released its preliminary findings on three recent falls from heights. It hopes that sharing this information will help other employers and workers prevent such incidents in their

The Westray mining tragedy, in which 26 workers died in an explosion at a Nova Scotia coal mine, had a big impact on the world of workplace safety. The resulting inquiry lead to changes in Nova Scotia’s and other jurisdictions’ OHS laws and Bill C-45, which amended the Canadian Criminal Code to make it easier to hold corporate executives who fail to take steps to protect the lives of their workers criminally liable. It was also one of the things that drove Yvonne O’Reilly, an OHS consultant and Conference Chair of the OHS Summit 2011, into the