The 3 Biggest OHS Compliance Stories in Each Province in 2021
FEDERAL Bill C-65 Workplace violence and harassment rules New Administrative Monetary Penalties for OHS violations Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for private sector employers ALBERTA Revised JHSC rules for multi-employer construction sites New […]
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Top 6 OHS Compliance Challenges for 2022
If you thought 2021 was a tough year, just wait until you see what 2022 has in store. In addition to the perennial difficulties that come with running an OHS […]
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Compressed Air & Gas Policy
Gases kept compressed in storage cylinders are commonly used at many workplaces. Damage to the cylinder valve can cause a rapid release of the gas and propel the heavy metal […]
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Compressed Gases – Know The Laws Of Your Province
OHS laws require safe handling and storage of compressed gas cylinders. OHS laws require employers to take measures to ensure safe storage and handling of compressed gas cylinders. In addition to […]
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Woman Who Falls Down Stairs While Working From Home Eligible for Worker’s Compensation
A Québec judge has ruled that a woman who fell down the stairs in her home while making her way to the kitchen to enjoy her lunch break is eligible for worker’s […]
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Not Reprisal to Fire Probationary Worker Who Raised Facemask Concerns
An editor working in a cramped basement asked his manager to require people at the site to wear facemasks to guard against COVID-19. The manager refused, saying that he considered […]
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Grinding Wheel Machine Safety Policy
“Grinding wheels,” or machines that power a wheel constructed of abrasive materials to spin at rapid speeds for grinding, smoothing, cutting, cleaning or shaping a fixed object are commonly found […]
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Grinding Wheel Safety – Know the Laws of Your Province
Measures you must take to ensure the safe operation of grinding wheel machines. Grinding wheels, whether fixed or portable, can be extremely dangerous. That’s why all provinces and territories require employers […]
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How Big a Fine Should an Employer Get for a First Offence Forklift Fatality?
An employer awaited sentence after pleading guilty to an OHS forklift violation with a penalty range of between $17,179 and $68,721. The prosecutor asked for a $48,106 fine, while the […]
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Court Upholds Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Verification Policy
Although it wasn’t necessarily something they had planned to do, when clients began insisting that contractor workers present proof of vaccination to gain entry, housekeeping companies adopted mandatory vaccination verification […]
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COVID-19 Infection Is Work-Related Under Workers Comp
Is coronavirus infection a work-related injury under workers comp? One of the first cases to address this crucial question involved a truck driver required to be in confined spaces where […]
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Safe Work Procedure for Manual Lifting
MSIs are the leading cause of workers comp claims in Canada; and manual materials handling operations are the leading cause of MSIs. One of the most effective ways to prevent […]
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Due Diligence Cases Scorecard 2021
Employers won on a due diligence defence in only 4 of 16 OHS cases in 2021. EMPLOYER WINS ON DUE DILIGENCE (4 cases) BC: Not Foreseeable that Experienced Workers Would Violate Lockout […]
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Month In Review – Québec
Download the Month in Review for Québec. These monthly snapshots will provide you with up-to-date information to develop your business strategy by giving expert advice on what actions should be taken […]
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Supervisor Job Description: Safety Responsibilities
A template you can adapt to communicate safety expectations for supervisors. To establish accountability, job descriptions should define safety-related functions in terms of discrete and measurable tasks. The Job Description template […]
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Cyberbullying Prevention Policy
You can't fight digital harassment with an analog policy. Workplace bullying is an old problem with a new face. In the internet age, bullying has become more pervasive and more virulent—all […]
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Failure to Name Prime Contractor Makes Construction Site Owner the Prime
CNESST cited the owner of a construction site of failing, as prime contractor, to ensure that guardrails were installed around a roof terrace elevated more than 3 metres above the […]
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Information You Must List in Accident Reports: Know the Laws of Your Province
Don’t use legally required incident reports to “tell the story of the accident”. OHS laws require employers to report serious workplace accidents, injuries and illnesses to the government. Not filing a […]
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Accident Investigation & Reporting Policy Language
Don't let your OHS accident report become Exhibit A in your own prosecution. Here’s a model policy explaining what to list in an accident report. This should be part of a […]
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Conveyor Safety: Know the Laws of Your Province
Conveyors require additional machine guarding measures. In addition to general machine guarding and lockout/tagout rules, OHS regulations require employers to take additional measures to prevent conveyor injuries. Here’s a look at […]
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Conveyor Safety Policy
Prevent costly conveyor injuries and OHS violations. Like many companies, you may use conveyors in your workplace to move materials from one place to another. But while conveyors eliminate the need […]
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Ionizing & Non-Ionizing Radiation Safety: Know the Laws of Your Province
What employers must do to protect workers from harmful radiation. Exposure to hazardous levels of radiation can cause cancer and other health problems. Equipment that emits dangerous radiation may be found […]
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Workplace Ionizing Radiation Safety Policy
A template you can adapt to protect your workers from hazardous radiation exposure. Radiation is a hazard at not only medical and nuclear sites but also industrial workplaces where X-ray machinery, […]
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Workplace Impairment Removal Policy
Establish your right to send workers home if they're drunk or high. Here’s a template of a policy providing for the immediate removal of workers who are impaired by drugs, alcohol […]
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Chain Saw Safety: Know The Laws Of Your Province
What you must do to protect workers who operate chain saws. All jurisdictions require employers to take specific measures to protect workers who use chain saws at the workplace. Here’s a […]
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Chain Saw Safety Policy
A template you can adapt to prevent chain saw injuries and OHS violations. Chain saws can be deadly when the equipment is improper or misused. That’s why OHS laws require employers […]
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Workplace COVID-19 Vaccine Passport Policy
Although courts have yet to weigh in on the issue, regulatory guidelines indicate that employers may follow the lead of some provincial governments and implement COVID-19 vaccination passport policies requiring […]
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Lawscape: COVID-19 Vaccination Passport
Which provinces have adopted vaccination passport requirements? It’s up to each jurisdiction to decide whether to adopt a vaccination passport system within its own borders. Here’s a visual rundown of where […]
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Current Vaccine Passport Rules Across Canada
Ontario, BC, Quebec, Manitoba and Nova Scotia require proof of vaccination to participate in certain public activities. “Vaccination passport,” a term few of us had ever heard before the pandemic, has […]
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