Health and safety charges are being laid in increasing numbers against companies, corporate directors, supervisors and even workers. But, so far, one group has managed to stay out of the dragnet: safety coordinators. To some extent, this omission isn’t too surprising. After all, the OHS laws don’t mention safety coordinators. And, until recently, no Canadian prosecutor had successfully held one personally liable for a company’s safety violation.... Read more

This Index lists all articles published in the Insider from Jan. to Dec. 2009. ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS “Brief Your CEO: No Safety Incidents ≠ Safe & Compliant Workplace,” 04/09, p. 14. “Hazardous Substances: How to Comply with TDGA Emergency Response Plan Requirements,” 06/09, p. 1. “Hazardous Substances: Part 1: ‘Polluter Pays’ & Liability for Costs of Emergency Environmental Measures,” 02/09, p. [...]... Read more

Simply providing safety training isn’t enough to ensure compliance; companies also must document their training efforts in case inspectors, regulators, prosecutors and courts demand proof that they provided the necessary training to each worker. Such documentation can also help companies avoid liability for a safety offence or even a crime under Bill C-45. For [...]... Read more

5 Accommodations You Don’t Have to Make Employers that deliberately discriminate against employees and job applicants deserve no sympathy. But most Canadian employers respect the human rights laws and try hard to obey them. Unfortunately, good intentions aren’t always enough to ensure compliance. Some parts of the law are so confusing that you can violate [...]... Read more

Here are links to some studies on the relationship between obesity and workplace health and safety: Association between Body Mass Index and Acute Traumatic Workplace Injury in Hourly Manufacturing Employees Obesity and Workers’ Compensation Obesity on the Job Work, Obesity, and Occupational Safety and Health ... Read more

Of all of the hazards in the workplace, confined spaces are among the most dangerous—and not only for workers who enter such spaces but also rescuers coming to the aid of workers in trouble. To comply with OHS requirements for confined spaces, you first need to recognize the “confined spaces” in your own workplace.... Read more

Every year about two million workers in the US experience workplace violence. The situation is similar in Canada, with Statistics Canada reporting that 17 percent of all self-reported incidents of violence, including sexual assault, physical assault and robbery, occur in the workplace. Physical violence, harassment and bullying don’t always lead to fatal or serious injury, of [...]... Read more

Valuable Special Report shows what you must do to protect your employees from injury --- and help protect company from liability! Workplace accidents related to careless on-the-job cell phone use and texting are growing fast – and the results can be devastating: A N.B worker steps in front of a truck while talking [...]... Read more

You don’t want to test the effectiveness of your company’s OHS program in a courtroom while the company’s being prosecuted for a safety violation. It’s one way to get a definitive evaluation of your OHS program but it isn’t a very practical—or cost-effective—approach. A better strategy is to review how courts and tribunals have ruled [...]... Read more

Links to the apology laws in the six jurisdictions that have them.... Read more