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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The Top 5 Workplace Summer Safety Hazards (and What You Can Do About Them)
It's time for warm weather, long weekends, and backyard cookouts. But the summer season also brings unique workplace hazards. Staying safe during the hot weather means understanding and managing the risks. […]
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Welding Company Fined $300,000 for Deadly Acetylene Gas Explosion
Fines of $300,000 and up are becoming increasingly common in Alberta. The most recent example stems from a welding explosion ignited by acetylene gas being used to fabricate a metal […]
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Hot Work / Welding Quiz
QUESTION What are the situations when workers should not be allowed to weld or cut? ANSWER Areas where management has not approved cutting or welding Buildings with sprinkler systems that prevent cutting […]
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Auto Plant Fined $225,000 for PPE Violation
An automotive plant worker not wearing PPE suffered serious burns in an explosion that occurred after he opened the door to a furnace. The employer, which had a track record […]
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Welding Safety Checklist
BENEFITS The OHS laws requires you to take reasonable steps to protect workers who engage in “hot work,” such as welding, cutting and allied processes, as well as others who work […]
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Welding Training Checklist
BENEFITS All workers must get basic safety training on everything from workers’ rights to emergency procedures. But they also need to be trained on the specific work they’re going to be […]
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Welding Safety Form
BENEFITS Welding is used to join materials and is a common practice in many industries. But because of the nature of this activity, welding exposes workers to various hazards, such as […]
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Spot the OHS Violation: Welding on Empty Fuel Containers
Situation A supervisor at a manufacturing plant orders a worker to use a hot torch to cut an empty steel drum that previously contained a combustible oil lubricant. The drum has […]
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Spot the Safety Violations: Ensuring Use of Proper PPE for Welding & Hot Work
Is This the Way You Want YOUR Workers to Do Hot Work? How many OHS violations in this photo can you spot? OHS laws require employers to ensure that workers performing welding, […]
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Spot The Safety Violation: Watch Where You Weld
Is this spot really the best place for this worker to be welding? Welding is used to join materials and is a common practice in many industries. But because of the […]
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Spot the Safety Violation: Hot Work & Housekeeping
Working with an open flame is always risky but this worker has increased the risk of a fire. What did he forget to do? Keeping work areas clean isn’t just about […]
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Welding PPE Requirements
KNOW THE LAWS: Welding PPE Requirements Here are the PPE requirements specific to welding under the OHS regulations in each jurisdiction: FED OHS regulations don’t contain specific welding PPE requirements. AB OHS Code 2009: A worker […]
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Compliance Cheat Sheet: How to Create a Pandemic Business Travel Safety Policy
Although the pandemic has changed the face of business travel, it hasn’t done away with the need to engage in it. What’s needed is a new kind of policy enabling […]
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Hot Work Policy
This policy was developed to ensure that the Hot Work will be managed and proper procedures are taken to prevent loss due to fire caused by Hot Work (cutting, soldering […]
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An Updated Look at Provincial Reopening Plans
Provinces have been releasing plans for easing restrictions that were put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. Here is what some of the provinces have announced so far: Newfoundland and […]
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Hot Work Policy (Alberta version)
It’s important to have a policy for identifying, assessing and controlling hazards of flammable and combustible substances and performing hot work operations like welding.
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COVID-19 UPDATE: Updates On COVID-19 From The BC Human Rights Commission And WorkSafeBC
Last week, WorkSafeBC and the BC Human Rights Commission both published guidance for employers in British Columbia on workplace health and safety and on discrimination, respectively, relating to the COVID-19 […]
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Temperature Screening At Workplaces: A “HOT” Topic Amid The COVID-19 Pandemic
One of the primary symptoms consistent with COVID-19 is an elevated body temperature of above 38˚C (100.4˚F). Some workplaces have started screening their employees using touchless temperature scanners in order […]
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The Future of Ergonomics
Date: April 8, 2020 Time: 9am – 10:15am PST Presenter: Rachell Mitchell, MSc Human Factors, RKin, CCPE Download the Slides: here Extra Resources: Working from Home in the Face of a Pandemic: Applying Ergonomics Principles About […]
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OHS Compliance & Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) assessed COVID-19 as a pandemic. This assessment by the WHO is not unexpected. Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change […]
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Compliance Cheat Sheet: OHS Requirements for Compressed Air Construction Work
What's At Stake Work carried out in a compressed air environment is highly dangerous. In addition to fire and explosion, working in compressed air exposes workers to health risks, the most […]
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Compliance Alert: Safety Committee Inspection Rights Don’t Include Areas Employer Doesn’t Control
Canada Labour Code, Sec. 125(1)(z.12): "Every employer shall, . . . in respect of every work activity carried out by an employer in a work place that is not […]
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OHS Compliance Briefing: Key Trends in Workplace Drug Testing Law
What's At Stake An employer's right to test and discipline for workplace drug and alcohol use or impairment comes down to a balancing of competing interests: The employer's interest, nay imperative, in […]
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New Laws: The 6 Biggest OHS Compliance Challenges of 2020
As if maintaining a compliant OHS program weren't already hard enough, legal changes will pose significant compliance new challenges to safety managers in the coming year. Here are the 6 […]
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The 8 Most Important OHS Compliance Cases of 2019
1. Ontario High Court Casts New Doubt on Construction Site Liability Rules As in other jurisdictions, OHS laws in Ontario allow owners of sites in which construction work is done […]
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6 Key Facts about Managing Workplace Flu & Infectious Illness Risks
1. There's an implied duty under OHS laws to protect workers from getting the flu and other infectious illnesses at work. 2. One of the best ways to keep workers from getting […]
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Ask The Expert: Can Workers Wear Contact Lenses While Welding?
QUESTION Can workers wear contact lenses while welding? ANSWER No EXPLANATION One province, PEI, directly bans wearing contact lenses while welding or performing hot work (OHS Act Gen. Regs., Sec. 45.11). The others […]
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How to Protect Workers Who Work Off-Site
What's At Stake Workers who do their jobs off-site, including drivers, home care nurses, sales reps and delivery personnel, pose significant challenges for OHS directors. How do you protect workers' health […]
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How to Use Progressive Discipline to Enforce Workplace Safety Rules
What’s At Stake: Why Progressive Discipline Is Crucial to OHS Compliance There’s no point in having safety policies and procedures (which we’ll refer to collectively as “policies”) unless you use discipline […]
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