Arbitrator Reinstates Worker Fired for Shop Room Floor Fight with Co-Worker
All agreed that a steel worker deserved to be disciplined for getting into a physical altercation with a co-worker on the shop room floor. The question was whether the incident […]
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Court Upholds OHS Officer’s Rejection of Worker’s Confined Space Work Refusal
A millwright claimed she was the victim of reprisals because she refused to enter a confined space. After talking to witnesses and reviewing the records, the OHS officer concluded that […]
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Not Discrimination to Make Worker Shave Beard before Using Respirator
A scaffolding worker claimed he was the victim of discrimination citing, among other things, his employer’s demand that he shave his beard before using the tight-fitting respirator he had to […]
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Design Center Fined $120,000 for Exposing Workers to Carbon Monoxide
Two workers using gas-powered concrete saws to cut flooring in a retail space for the installation of plumbing systems were exposed to elevated levels of carbon monoxide and had to […]
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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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Roofer Loses Appeal of $10,000 AMP
A worker was hit on the head by a bag of debris weighing 18 kg that was tossed off a roof. The employer was socked with an administrative monetary penalty […]
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Employer Fined $95,000 for Powered Mobile Equipment Mishap
A rink chiller being transported from a mechanical room to an outdoor temporary storage area tipped and fell onto a worker, causing serious injury. The employer was fined $95,000 after […]
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Workers Comp Doesn’t Bar Harassment-Based Constructive Dismissal Claim
Less than 2 months after an Ontario arbitrator ruled that the workers comp bar against employees suing their employers for work injuries doesn’t apply to constructive dismissal for harassment, an […]
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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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Crane Inspections: Know the Laws of Your Province
OHS crane inspection rules vary by province. While all jurisdiction require employers to ensure that cranes are properly inspected in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications, CSA and other applicable standards, there are […]
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Cranes, Hoists and Slings Safety Policy
A template you can adapt to prevent costly crane accidents and OHS violations.
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JHSC Membership and Co-Chair Requirements: Know the Laws of Your Province
JHSC violations open the door to more intensive scrutiny by OHS investigators. If and when safety inspectors show up at your workplace, one of the first things they’ll want to review […]
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Alberta OHS Act And OHS Code Changes Postponed Until Late 2021
In late 2020, the Alberta government introduced a number of important and controversial changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Those amendments, contained in Bill 47, Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red […]
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Auto Parts Depot Fined $185,000 for Worker’s Fatality
An auto repair worker got killed when the vehicle he was under fell on him. The employer, a Calgary parts depot, was fined $185,000 and put on 2 years’ corporate […]
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One Harassment Incident Justifies Termination When It’s a Sexual Assault
An employee decided to ask a newly divorced co-worker on a date. Her reception was a cool “maybe.” In an attempt to be flirtatious, the employee lifted the co-worker’s hoodie […]
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Workers Comp Nixes Employer’s Claim for Cost Relief for Firefighter’s PTSD
The Alberta WCB awarded a firefighter benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder suffered as a result of witnessing his friend and co-worker get killed on the job. The employer conceded that […]
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Construction Worker Has Valid Claim for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Exactly what traumatic event the worker witnessed at a windmill erection site on November 4, 2013, is never specified but the Alberta workers comp appeals commission ruled that it was […]
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Company Official Fined for Refusing OHS Investigator Interview without a Lawyer
An OHS officer investigating a workplace fatality asked to interview a company official and 4 workers who witnessed the incident. All 5 men showed up but refused to go through […]
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Worker Claims Co-Workers’ NFL Fantasy Draft Snub Is Bullying
This oddball case began with the extreme distress an accountant felt at not being invited to participate in her co-workers’ annual NFL fantasy draft. The accountant made her feelings known […]
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