Carbon Monoxide Safety & Compliance Game Plan
The 6 things to do to protect workers from carbon monoxide poisoning. On average, 356 people die of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in Canada each year. Many of these tragedies occur […]
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Alberta Wildfires And Workplace Health And Safety: What Employers Need To Know
As wildfires across Alberta continue, Environment Canada has issued special air quality statements (SAQS)1 indicating that there is a high risk of poor air quality in the majority of the province […]
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New OHS Regulations Require Free Menstruation Products at Federally Regulated Workplaces
OHS laws require employers to provide workers clean, sanitary and suitably supplied toilets and washing facilities. Nobody needs to explain why these rules exist. However, what may need explaining is […]
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Effective Actions to Prevent Mental Health Risks at Work – Special Report
Past studies have documented that employees who suffer from mental health problems are more apt to be absent and less productive even when they do show up (this phenomenon is […]
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Standard PPE May Leave Women Workers at Risk of Injury
As an OHS coordinator, you no doubt feel a responsibility to look after each and every one of your workers. Unfortunately, the safety equipment and PPE that you select may […]
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Ontario, Canada Publishes Regulations Aimed at Increasing Participation of Women in Construction Workforce
On March 29, 2023, the province published Regulation 61/23 amending Regulation 213/91: Construction Projects under the Occupational Health & Safety Act (Regulation). The amendments will come into force on July 1, 2023. On March 15, 2023, Ontario […]
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How Helping Employees Cope with Mental Illness Can Improve Your Company’s Bottom Line
Investing $100 in mental wellness may return $1,800 in productivity enhancements. Employer healthcare plans have traditionally been reactive. Coverage kicked in only if and when the employee required medical care. Then […]
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Workers’ Mental Health & Why You Need an Accommodations Policy
Accommodating workers’ mental health disabilities is a legal, moral and business imperative. In any given week, at least 500,000 Canadians are unable to work due to mental health problems. And those […]
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Mental Health Accommodations Policy & Procedure
POLICY STATEMENT ABC Company is committed to ensuring the health, safety and well-being of all of its employees. ABC Company also recognizes that mental health is a crucial factor […]
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BC Employers’ OHS Obligations to Address Workplace Bullying and Harassment
Workplace bullying and harassment is a significant issue for employers in British Columbia. In 2021 alone, WorkSafeBC received 3400 inquiries related to workplace bullying. The organization also noted that most employers did […]
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Special Protections for Pregnant/Breastfeeding Workers – Know the Laws of your Province
Employers may have to temporarily reassign pregnant workers to less hazardous jobs. The OHS regulations of many jurisdictions require employers to take special safety measures to protect workers who are pregnant, […]
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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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Arbitrator Finds Three-Dose Mandatory Vaccination Requirement Reasonable In Long-Term Care Homes
In Regional Municipality of York v Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 905 (Long Term Care Unit), Arbitrator Stephen Raymond found that a mandatory vaccination policy (Policy) which required long-term care […]
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OK to Use Surveillance Tape to Prove Worker Faked Her Injuries
An avionics installation worker got fired for faking the injuries she supposedly suffered as a result of slipping on black ice in the company parking lot. Exhibit A was the […]
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Arbitrator Upholds Mandatory 3-Dose Vaccination Policy
Having lost its case against the previous 2-dose mandatory COVID vaccination policy, the union challenged the new 3-dose policy that the long-term care homes operator unilaterally implemented in response to […]
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Union Loses Bid to Overturn Mandatory Vaccination Policy for Lack of Notice
Sec. 54 of the Labour Relations Code requires employers to give at least 60 days’ notice before introducing a policy “that affects the terms, conditions or security of employment” of […]
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Auto Technician Wasn’t Fired for Complaining about Indoor Smoking
An automotive technician repeatedly complained to his employer about the smoking taking place in the repair shop. But his complaints went unheeded and the technician felt he had to quit […]
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Preventing Back Injuries with Ergonomics – At Home & At Work
Date: Oct 5, 2022 Time: 9:00AM-10:30AM (PST) Speaker: Rachel Mitchell, R.Kin., CCPE, Manager Ergonomics Services ERGO Inc. Low back pain is a common issue that most people experience at some point in their lives, with an increased […]
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Keeping Virtual Workers Safe & Healthy with Ergonomics
Many organizations have welcomed employees back to the office while incorporating a hybrid working model so that employees can work virtually from home a couple of days per week. Employers […]
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AEDs in the Workplace – Compliance Game Plan
Workplace AED programs are highly recommended everywhere and will soon be mandatory in Ontario. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the second leading cause of death in Canada, taking more lives than […]
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Ergonomics Risk Reduction Strategies In Healthcare
Working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other healthcare environments can place high physical demands on workers. This work often requires manual handling, forceful exertions, and awkward postures, typically over […]
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AEDs in Workplace Policy
Sudden cardiac arrest is the second leading cause of death in Canada. While not required by laws (although that could change soon in Ontario), implementing a workplace automated external defibrillator […]
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Climate Change And Working Conditions: Could Your Employer Be Responsible For Providing You An Air Conditioner?
980CKNW The Jas Johal Show Geoff Mason is a guest on 980CKNW's The Jas Johal Show discussing how climate change is impacting the workplace and whether employers are legally contracted to provide their employees […]
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Ontario Company Fined $125K For COVID-19 Outbreak And Fatality
In a significant first, an employer in Ontario has been prosecuted for a COVID-19 related death. On June 6, 2022, Scotlynn Sweetpac Growers Inc. ("Scotlynn") pleaded guilty and was convicted of […]
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Employer Strategies for Managing Monkeypox Risks in the Workplace
After having managed through COVID-19, employers are rightly thinking, “another pandemic?”. Employers have built an internal resiliency from COVID-19 and can apply many of the lessons learned to monkeypox. As […]
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Duty to Accommodate Special Report
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 […]
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Employer’s Legal Obligations: Harassment, Bullying, Violence in the Workplace
Date: August 10, 2022 Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PST Speaker: Lorenzo Lisi This presentation will be an overview of employer's legal obligations with respect to harassment, bullying and violence in the […]
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Employee Who Refused to Mask Told by Court That Losses Were “Self-Inflicted”
Employers and employees saw the workplace change rapidly since March 2020. After a whirlwind of workforce changes and policies, litigation on the appropriateness of COVID-19 workplace measures is working its […]
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How to Accommodate a Worker Who Needs Time Off for Chemotherapy – Ask The Expert
Get the information you need to evaluate the worker’s capabilities and needs. QUESTION A worker told us she’s been diagnosed with cancer and needs to work an irregular schedule for chemotherapy. We […]
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