Bank Should’ve Promptly Reported Manager’s Death from Heart Attack

A worker found a bank manager collapsed on the bathroom floor. Co-workers tried to resuscitate him as did the police and paramedics. But he died, apparently of a heart attack. The bank didn’t initially report the fatality because the manager had died of natural causes but eventually reported it seven days later. A federal safety officer cited the bank for failing to report a worker’s death within 24 hours. The OHS Tribunal upheld the citation, concluding that the bank manager’s death, which occurred in the workplace and while he was at work, triggered the reporting requirements under the Canada Labour Code. This ruling was consistent with the law’s intent and language, and permits safety officers to investigate all workplace deaths in a timely manner [Re Royal Bank of Canada, [2012] OHSTC 5, Feb. 3, 2012].