How do you know if your company could successfully prove that it exercised due diligence? The only way to get a definitive answer to this question is for your company to get prosecuted for a safety violation. If the court accepts the company’s due diligence defence, you’ll know your OHS program does what the law Read more

Although random drug testing is illegal and random alcohol testing is problematic, it’s generally acceptable to test workers for either substance after they’ve been involved in a workplace incident. Post-incident testing is especially justifiable when the worker to be tested occupies a safety-sensitive position, such as forklift driver, or works in a safety-sensitive industry, such Read more

Canada’s OHS laws are based on the internal responsibility system in which all workplace stakeholders—from company owners to floor workers—must play a role in ensuring a healthy and safe workplace. It’s no surprise that supervisors are included in this group. In fact, the role of the supervisor is so important that seven jurisdictions—BC, MB, NT, Read more

a home office safety checklist created by Alberta Employment and Immigration that you can adapt to conduct a hazard assessment of a telecommuter’s home office. Read more

Now it’s Easy to Comply with New Ontario Workplace Violence & Harassment Law! Get the complete, easy-to-use help you need to comply with the new Ontario Workplace Violence & Harassment Law - including a Plain-English new law explanation -- and ready-to-use model policies! In these valuable Special Reports you'll find everything you need to know about the Read more

The OHS laws apply to a wide range of workplaces—from factories to accounting firms, construction sites to mines. And yes, they even apply to a toy workshop such as Santa’s. So how safe is Santa’s workshop? Is he taking all reasonable measures to ensure the health and safety of the elves? Results of Safety Inspection Santa’s workshop 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

How to ensure that your company complies with its OHS duty to protect workers who telecommute. Read more

For a complete list of all the online safety training resources at your disposal, go to www.learnsmartonline.net Read more

Many workplace incidents occur because workers weren’t concentrating on the task at hand. So if you’re a safety coordinator, the last thing you want your workers to do is use a device that causes distraction and loss of focus. But that’s precisely what’s happening. The culprit: iPods, MP3 players and other music playing devices. “The Read more