Is Following an Industry Standard Enough to Show Due Diligence? One of your most important responsibilities as a safety coordinator is to ensure that your company exercises due diligence. The
Always be thinking about workplace safety. Almost all injuries are preventable but not thinking and not paying close attention are the leading cause of all workplace injuries. Watch out for
While the paramount objective is to prevent OHS violations and injuries, nobody expects you to be perfect. Stuff happens. Your liability for the “stuff” you fail to prevent will come
Technically, courts and legislatures are supposed to make the laws while courts, arbitrators and tribunals (which we’ll refer to collectively as “courts”) are supposed to simply interpret it. This is
An AED is an electronic device that can monitor whether a person’s heart has stopped beating and deliver an electric shock to get it restarted. The beauty of the AED
Educate your supervisors on how being too lenient hurts the company. Workers who disobey safety rules are a danger to others and to themselves and must be disciplined. But disciplining
An employer is generally not entitled to an employee’s detailed medical information such as diagnosis, cause, or treatment unless the information is relevant to the accommodation requested, or the employee’s
Most workers work in an environment where there are other workers, visitors, members of the public, etc. But some workers work by themselves. For example, some may work onsite but
For nearly 2 decades, OHS Insider has been the only source of data tracking due diligence in OHS cases across Canada. Why do we do it? Technically, “due diligence” is
New & Young Workers How Do You Protect Them? Under the OHS laws, employers have a duty to protect all workers. But some workers may need special attention because they
Refusing to perform assigned work is normally an act of insubordination for which a worker can be disciplined. But OHS laws create a special exemption that allows workers to refuse
It’s easy to get focused on immediate safety goals in your workplace, such as giving safety orientations to workers you’ve just hired, complying with new requirements in the OHS laws
Emergencies may be rare but when they occur, they can be catastrophic. Just look at the recent sawmill explosions and fires in BC and the shopping centre parking garage collapse
Avoid Incriminating yourself when reporting work incidents to OHS officials. Don’t use legally required incident reports to “tell the story of the accident.” OHS laws require employers to report serious
2022 is underway and it’s the perfect time to evaluate your Ergonomics Program to identify gaps to ensure risk reduction, as well as improved productivity, work quality, and overall job
The nature of work is changing at whirlwind speed. Perhaps now more than ever before, job stress poses a threat to the health of workers and, in turn, to the
It’s been nearly 3 years since Canada legalized recreational marihuana use. Since 2018, a new “legal” industry has emerged, tax revenues have grown - though not nearly at the pace
Can a safety infraction be a cause for progressive discipline? When you discipline a worker for violating a safety rule or for any other infraction, make sure to document it.
New regulations have taken effect regarding workplace safety, temporary layoffs, right to disconnect, privacy, and COVID-leave to name just a few. What’s more, the courts, although frustrated by COVID restrictions,
Bill 59 – The Background Quebec’s workplace safety regulations were pending overhaul for almost four decades, until Quebec Labor Minister John Boulet introduced ‘Bill 59’ on October 27, 2020, officially
Recognizing the Factors that Lead to Risk Tolerance Reducing accidents requires that companies recognize not just hazards in the workplace but also the factors that lead workers to incorrectly respond
A major concern for the healthcare community during a wide-scale, natural disaster or an infectious disease incident is patient care. However, emergency situations such as these require advance planning for
2020 OHS due diligence cases and the lessons to apply to your own OHS program. Sure, you’ve got an OHS program. But are you doing enough to comply with OHS
Employers won on a due diligence defence in only 2 of 19 OHS cases in 2020. EMPLOYER USED DUE DILIGENCE (2 cases) BC: Oil Well Operator’s Exposure Control Program Was
Telecommuting wasn't a thing when the OHS laws were first written several decades ago. As a result, they don't talk about telecommuting or say one way or another the various
Although social distancing is vital to prevent the spread of COVID-19, sometimes it’s simply not possible to maintain the necessary 2 meters/6 feet of separation. Close encounters are especially difficult
Heat stress is a condition that can take many forms, depending on the severity of external and internal factors and, of course, the condition of the individual. The heating and
Yukon Energy is the primary generator and transmitter of power to Yukoners. Because of this, we are also one of the agencies to respond when emergencies occur. Over the years,
A recent decision of the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (“the Tribunal”) has significantly expanded the scope of entitlement for workplace events that cause traumatic mental stress. Traditionally,
The oil and gas industry is one of the more hazardous sectors in Canada. For example, in 2010, there were 16 fatalities in the upstream oil and gas industry in
