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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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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The Top 10 OHS Compliance Cases of 2022 (So Far) & Their Impact on You
The court cases most likely to directly affect your OHS program and policies. Key OHS cases from the first 6 months of 2022 addressed issues ranging from the authority of OHS […]
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2022 Due Diligence Semi-Annual Scorecard Special Report
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 […]
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Notice of Projects for Construction Work – Know The Laws Of Your Province
OHS laws require written notice before undertaking potentially hazardous construction projects. Construction sites are among the most dangerous. Work injury rates higher for construction than in most other industries; and the […]
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Canadian Mining Company Underestimates Scale of Catastrophe
A Canadian company, Trevali Mining Corporation owns the Perkoa Mine in Burkina Faso that has been in the spotlight since April 16 when a flood trapped 8 workers underground. It […]
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Are Excavations/Trenches Considered Confined Spaces? – Ask The Expert
Question Do you know if a trench is definitely considered a confined space in BC? Answer It depends. Explanation The OHS Reg. definition of “confined spaces” in Sec. 9.1 lists characteristics but not specific examples. […]
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Daily Trench/Excavation Log
BENEFITS Trenches and excavations pose hazards to both the workers who work inside them and those on the surface. For example, these confined spaces can suffer cave-ins or collapses and trap […]
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Trench/Excavation Inspection Checklist
BENEFITS Trenches and excavations pose hazards to both the workers who work inside them and those on the surface. For example, these confined spaces can suffer cave-ins or collapses and trap […]
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Safety of Excavations Work – Know The Laws Of Your Province
Excavation & Trench Shoring Rules Across Canada FEDERAL (1) Employer must mark location of all underground pipes, cables and conduits in the area where the excavation work is to be done before […]
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Which Company Is Liable, as an Employer, for Excavation Gas Pipe Explosion? – Quiz
An employer’s OHS duty to protect may extend to the workers it doesn’t actually employ. Canadian OHS laws require “employers” to take measures to protect the health and safety of their […]
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How to Protect Workers from Atmospheric Hazards Inside Excavations & Trenches
Don’t send workers into excavations until you identify and control its atmospheric hazards. Any work operation becomes significantly more dangerous when it’s carried out inside an excavation or trench. One of […]
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Excavations Safety Policy
Here’s a policy template you can use to ensure that excavations work at your site is carried out safely and in compliance with OHS requirements. Note: Because OHS regulations vary […]
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Excavations: CNESST Inspector’s Estimate Not Enough to Prove Trench Violation
A CNESST inspector cited a sewer repair contractor for not shoring up the walls of an excavation of more than 1.2 metres. The contractor argued that the trench was less […]
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Mining Company Fined $120,000 for Drilling Too Close to Rock Structures
A loose rock fell on a mine worker who was performing drilling and rock blasting in an area near bedding planes, veins, joints and faults. The MOL concluded that vibrations […]
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Prime Contractor Gets 6-Figure OHS Fine for Excavation Project Injuries
An excavator being used at a roadway construction project accidentally nudged a piece of heavy pipe, causing it to fall into the trench and seriously injure a pair of subcontractor […]
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Court Was Wrong to Convict Excavation Contractor for Fall Protection Violation
In an unusual move, the Québec Superior Court ruled that the lower court judge was wrong in finding an excavation contractor guilty of a fall protection violation and quashed the […]
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Ontario To Relax Notice Of Project Filing Rules
As in many provinces, in Ontario you can’t start work on certain construction projects unless you submit written notification listing detailed information about the work. While the point of the […]
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No Proof that Excavator Contractor Violated Waterside Safety Regulations
The shovel of a hydraulic excavator being used to break thick ice at the edge of a frozen canal slid into the icy water dragging the operator along. The operator […]
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Excavation and Trenching Quiz
QUESTION Cave-ins in trenching work is twice that of deaths incurred from any other sources of construction. What are the two basic methods to protect workers from cave – ins? ANSWER Sloping […]
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Worker’s Destruction of Concrete Wall Was Deliberate, Not Accidental
A worker knocked over the concrete wall of a bunker with the bucket of the front-end loader he was operating. The employer claimed he did it on purpose. In the […]
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Spot The Safety Violation: 8 Common Trench & Excavation Hazards
What do you think happened to the worker who was in this trench when it collapsed? Trenches and excavations pose a variety of serious hazards to both workers working in them […]
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Spot The Safety Violation: Take 7 Steps to Protect Workers In/Near Trenches
How many safety hazards can you spot in this picture of trenching work? Trenches and excavations are a necessary evil in some workplaces, particularly in the construction industry. But such digs […]
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Spot The Safety Violation: Keep Away from the Edge of Trenches
Are these piles of excavated material a safe distance from the edge of this trench? Trenches and excavations are common in many workplaces, particularly in the construction industry. Working in and […]
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Spot The Safety Violation: Don’t Let Safety Hazards Get En-Trenched
There are a number of safety hazards in this picture of an excavation—how many can you spot? Various workplace, especially construction sites, feature trenches and excavations. Such digs pose several kinds […]
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Spot The Safety Violation: Dig These Trench Hazards
This trench has a number of safety hazards—how many can you identify? Trenches and excavations are very common in many workplaces, especially construction sites. They’re also very hazardous. This picture from elcosh illustrates […]
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Spot The Safety Violation: Put a Lid on It!
It looks like these pieces of rebar are missing something. Do you know what it is? Unguarded protruding steel reinforcing bars (“rebar”) are very hazardous. Even if you simply stumble onto […]
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Guarding Requirements for Trenches and Excavations – Know The Laws Of Your Province
Keeping workers and others from falling into an excavation. OHS laws require employers to take measures to ensure that excavation and trenching operations are carried out in a way that endangers […]
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