Category Archives: Health & Safety

WorkSafeBC alleges a “systemic failure” in safety management at Vancouver’s Oakridge construction site.

WorkSafeBC has accused EllisDon, the main contractor at Vancouver’s Oakridge construction site, of a “systemic failure to manage workplace health and safety,” according to court documents. An official document cited multiple safety violations, including inadequate control of worksite hazards and failure to manage exclusion zones effectively.  The investigation follows a series of serious incidents, including…

Canadian doctors call for an end to workplace sick notes.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is battling for the end of mandatory sick notes for short-term illnesses in workplaces and schools. They claim that requiring notes for minor health issues places unnecessary pressure on Canada’s healthcare system, which is a problem due to not having enough family doctors. According to the CMA, removing the need…

Guelph business fined $50,000 after worker injured by saw blade

The Ministry of Labour has fined a Guelph business $50,000 after an employee was critically injured while making cabinet drawers. According to a news release from the ministry, BND Woodworking Inc. failed to ensure equipment, materials, and protective devices provided by the employer were maintained in good condition. The release said a blade cover on a…

Company and Owner fined $850K after Workplace Explosion Kills 6 and Critically Injures 1

Sourced from and All credits to: Canadian Occupational Safety (thesafetymag.com)Article written by: Shane Mercer “This is a watershed moment,” proclaims Cheryl Edwards, partner at Matthews Dinsdale & Clark LLP on a phone call shortly after the penalties against Eastway Tank, Pump & Meter and its owner Neil Greene were announced in an Ottawa courtroom on…

Top occupational disease risks in the forestry, mining, and pulp and paper

An occupational illness happens when someone gets sick from being exposed to things like chemicals or germs at work, which can affect the body’s normal functions and make the worker less healthy Per: Baytoday.ca – baytoday staff Workplace Safety North (WSN) in North Bay, in partnership with the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) has launched three…

The importance of workplace safety alongside financial concerns

By Scott Cormier – per: ISHN.com Many healthcare organizations are finalizing their annual budgets and preparing to turn to the next fiscal year. This budgeting season has been met with obstacles about how to appropriately manage and tackle financial headwinds as health systems across the United States reported massive losses due in large part to inflationary…

To Control or Not Control

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN “OWNER” LIABILITY UNDER OHSA This article explores the potential employment law consequences stemming from the degree of control a party exerts within a variety of business and project structures. Liability risks exist for various stakeholders who find themselves within the purview of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The OHSA regime generally splits parties…

A Message to Ontario labour from the new Minister of Labour

By Monte McNaughton (Pulled directly from National Post – Aug. 2019) When I was growing up, my parents taught me lessons I hold dear today: the value of hard work, the importance of finding a good-paying job and looking out for the safety of myself and those around me. These are principles I share with…

MOL Working at Heights Inspection Initiative Report Summary

The following summarizes the results of an MOL Inspection Initiative that focused on Working at Heights in construction projects. The inspection initiative took place between May 1 and June 30th, 2018. The initiative was broken down into two (2) phases. The first phase focused on promotion and distribution of information and available resources that employers…

Breach of OHSA can support manslaughter charge under Criminal Code

A ground-breaking sentencing and verdict, has come down from the Québec Superior Court that should require every supervisor, employer and health and safety professionals across Canada, to take notice. In R. v. Fournier, the Court decided that a workplace fatality resulting from a breach of provincial health and safety legislation can effectively support committal to trial…