RESEARCHER’S DEATH EXPOSES LACK OF OVERSIGHT, TRAINING, AND NATIONAL PROTOCOLS The death of internationally renowned Arctic researcher Maya Bhatia during fieldwork on the Jakeman Glacier near Grise Fiord, Nunavut, raises significant questions about how scientific expeditions in Canada’s North are planned and regulated. Unlike other international bodies that operate in polar environments, Arctic fieldwork in…
A foreman with Road-Ex Contracting Ltd. has been fined $20,000 after an incident that fatally injured a worker on a construction site in Caledon, Ont. Alfredo Piluso pleaded guilty to performing other work while acting as a signaller, contrary to sections 104(3) and 106(1) of Ontario Regulation 213/91 and section 28(1)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. On June 1, 2022,…
The modern workplace is becoming more stressful, with rising tensions, performance pressure, and burnout affecting employees worldwide. A study by Workplace Options (WPO) highlights that workplace stress is the top concern in most countries. “Psychological safety…is no longer just a workplace perk. It is a business necessity,” said WPO CEO Alan King. The study, based…
Hearing loss a ‘crises’ in Canada with 43% of workers employed in noisy environments Between 2006 and 2015, about 30,000 workers in Ontario had a noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) claim that was allowed by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). This was about a quarter of all occupational disease claims. Between 2012 and 2017, 37 per cent…
Proving even the provinces are not excluded from compliance regulations… WorkSafeBC has issued a penalty of $783,068.26 to the provincial government for “high-risk” worker safety violations outside a popular electronic music festival in B.C.’s Interior. The penalty, imposed in late January, was for a July 29, 2024, incident involving the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure…
Hydro One Networks Inc. and Gregory Diebold, a supervisor, have been fined a combined total of $262,000 after a worker was critically injured at a construction site in Wingham, Ont. Hydro One pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that work performed on or near electrical transmission or distribution systems was performed in accordance with section…
A series of cascading failures, including a corroded steam pipe and a defective natural gas fitting, caused a deadly explosion at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory in 2023, killing seven workers. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed Tuesday that R.M. Palmer Co. failed to evacuate workers despite employees reporting a gas smell before the blast.…
An investigation into the 2023 death of a construction worker in Chelsea, Quebec, revealed major management, communication, and organizational failings contributed to the tragedy. The worker, a 63-year-old man from Bouchette, was fueling a vehicle when a 10-wheel dump truck backed into him, pinning him fatally. The site was managed by Construction FGK. According to…
Her husband died after a workplace explosion. She questions why more employers don’t face criminal charges. Two Years After Tragic Explosion, Widow Calls for Action on Workplace Safety Laws. In September 2022, Shawn Peddle was critically injured in an explosion at the Braya refinery in Come By Chance, N.L. He fought for 43 days in…
While Toor Vineyards doesn’t appear to exist, the address listed for Toor Vineyards matches the address for Oliver, B.C.’s Desert Hills Estate Winery.