Don’t Assume that Following an Industry Standard Is Enough to Comply with OHS Requirements
Following industry standards can help a company comply with OHS requirements for material handling that are broadly written and don’t provide specifics. For example, it could be reasonable to follow […]
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Material Stacking Safety Policy
Unsafe stacking of material is a leading cause of workplace incidents and injuries, as well as OHS citations. That’s why it’s important to create and implement a safe stacking policy […]
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Mar 15 – Lockout Tagout
Speaker: Kenneth “Kenny” Young Date: March 15 POSTPONED Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30AM PST Register Here. OHS Insider Members Promo Code: OHSIVIP23 In November 2021, OSHA reported three workers who had severe injuries in two separate incidents […]
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Is a Contractor Liable for a Subcontractor’s Environmental Violation?
A contractor may be fined more than the subcontractor for allowing the violation to happen. Environmental violations often occur at sites where work is performed by contractors and the subcontractors they […]
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Forklift-Mounted Work Platform Safety Policy
Forklift mounted platform operations aren’t something you can freelance. To perform them safely and in compliance with OHS regulations requires special equipment, procedures and other safeguards. Here is a general […]
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Forklift-Mounted Work Platforms – Know the Laws of Your Province
Employers must follow strict safety rules when letting workers work from a platform elevated by a forklift. Sometimes the easiest way to elevate workers to the height where they must perform […]
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Are Employers Liable When Workers Deliberately Remove Machine Guards?
It depends on whether the worker’s violation was reasonably foreseeable. Lack of machine guarding is a common cause of serious workplace injuries and OHS penalties. But what if companies do put […]
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Top Safety Compliance Hazards – Special Report
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 […]
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Industrial Robots Safety & Compliance Game Plan
5 things to do to prevent robot injuries and OHS penalties. Once relegated to the realm of fantasy and science fiction, industrial robots have become a fixture in a wide range […]
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Industrial Robot Safety – Know the Laws of Your Province
Only 6 jurisdictions have adopted OHS regulations specifically covering robot safety. Despite their widespread use and the dangers they pose, only 6 provinces and territories include specific safety requirements for robots […]
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Due Diligence 2022, The 17th Annual Scorecard
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 […]
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Stacking & Storing Material – Know the Laws of Your Province
General OHS stacking rules vary by province. OHS regulations of each jurisdiction include requirements for stacking, storing and piling of materials at a workplace. Here’s a summary of the rules in […]
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The 13 Most Important OHS Cases of 2022
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 […]
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5 Winter Weather Hazards & How to Guard Against Them
How to ensure worker safety and manage liability risks during the winter. Cold weather, ice and snow creates a number of safety and liability management challenges for OHS coordinators. Ensuring that […]
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Bringing Children to the Workplace Policy
One way employers can support the parental needs of employees with young children is to allow them to bring their kids to work. Such a policy has become increasingly common […]
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Powder Actuated Tools Safety & Compliance Game Plan
The 7 steps to take to prevent powder actuated tool injuries and OHS violations. A powder actuated tool is literally a loaded gun. But instead of bullets, it fires nails, bolts, […]
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Powder Actuated Tools Safety – Know the Laws of Your Province
What you must do to protect workers who operate powder actuated. A powder actuated tool is literally a loaded gun. But instead of bullets, it fires nails, bolts, clips or pins […]
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Powder Actuated Tools Policy
For all and intents and purposes, powder actuated tools that use an explosive charge to hurl a nail or other fastener are loaded firearms that should be used only when […]
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Guide to Industrial Hygiene
Every workplace has hazards that pose potential threats to workers. Construction sites, for example, regularly expose workers to high elevations, heavy machinery, and dangerous construction materials, putting workers at risk […]
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Recycling Company Fined $125,000 for Machine Fatality
A recycling company worker got killed while removing a bin of waste materials to be carted away. MOL inspectors determined that the mechanical safety devices designed to keep the bin […]
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Disabling Braking Device Is Just Cause to Fire Transit Worker
A rapid transit worker with 8 years of service and no disciplinary record was fired for disabling a safety braking device called a deadman switch. The union claimed the discipline […]
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Home Improvement Center Fined $330K for Repeat Storage Rack Violations
A WorkSafeBC inspector issued a stop-use order for a storage rack after noticing visible damage to its cross-bracing and vertical members. He also cited the home improvement center operator for […]
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Minor Chemical Spill Isn’t Serious Enough to Justify Post-Incident Drug Testing
A worker had to undergo post-incident testing after a chemical spill in the bed of the truck she was driving caused some minor equipment damage. The test came back positive […]
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4 Critical Questions to Ask When Transporting Dangerous Goods
Various regulatory bodies and different jurisdictions makes it challenging to remain in compliance while transporting dangerous goods. It's been said that no matter what you do for work, the most dangerous […]
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5 Myths About What Defines a Confined Space
Identifying a confined space sounds simple, but there is no single, simple definition of what constitutes a confined space. Confined space safety can be complicated. There are a lot of variables and […]
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