Category Archives: Health & Safety

Lack of fall protection spurs $30,000 penalty

INNISFIL, Ont. — A company that operates a lining, coating and moulding facility in Innisfil, Ont. was fined $30,000 on Jan. 27, after a worker was observed working on top of a flatbed trailer without a safety harness or other fall protection equipment. A Ministry of Labour (MOL) inspector attended Jebco Industries Inc. on Feb. 13, 2013 for a follow-up inspection, the ministry said in a press release. The inspector noticed the load in a flatbed trailer was covered with a tarpaulin and secured, but there was a forklift on the passenger side of the truck. The forks were raised in the air and loaded with a platform, upon which stood the worker. The MOL release said that the worker had left the platform and climbed on top of the load, about 13 feet from the ground. The inspector saw the worker perch on the edge of the load, while trying to tarp it. Besides the lack of fall protection equipment, the inspector also noticed two workers standing under the load on the forklift, the release said. Nobody was injured in the incident.

Federal labour minister holds video conference

OTTAWA, Ont. — Dr. Kellie Leitch, the federal Minister of Labour, held a video conference meeting on Jan. 29 with provincial and territorial ministers of labour to deepen intergovernmental engagement. A press release from Employment and Social Development Canada said that Dr. Leitch and her counterparts had focused their discussion on the protection of young workers. They exchanged best practices on raising awareness of young worker injury prevention, discussed the current state of unpaid interns in various jurisdictions and learned recent developments regarding technical reviews of the International Labour Organization’s Convention 138 on Minimum Age and the Protocol on Forced Labour. “Today’s meeting shows our collective commitment to collaborate on issues to improve workplaces in Canada and around the world,” Dr. Leitch said in the press release. “Meetings like this help governments to work together, to share best practices and to ensure that Canada’s workforce remains the best in the world.”

B.C. appoints container trucking commissioner

The province of British Columbia has announced the appointment of a container trucking commissioner to support better working conditions for these truckers and to ensure efficient and reliable operations at Port Metro Vancouver.

Andy Smith has been the president and CEO of the B.C. Maritime Employers Association since 2007 and was instrumental in successfully concluding two historic eight-year collective agreements (from 2010 to 2018) on the West Coast waterfront, the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a press release on Feb. 3. Prior to this, Smith worked as an advisor to the president of Interfor, a major B.C. forest company, on labour, environmental and forest policy matters.

As part of his mandate to ensure long-term stability in the sector, Smith will:

  • Assume responsibility for all truck licensing system licences in place, following a reform undertaken by Port Metro Vancouver;
  • Establish and then consult with an Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) on issues relevant to the sector;
  • Set any future rates based on consultations with industry and the IAC; and
  • Oversee a whistleblower line, investigations and enhanced auditing and enforcement.

“I congratulate Andy Smith on his appointment,” said Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, in the release. “He brings with him a wealth of experience and in-depth knowledge of the sector, and I’m confident he’ll be able to positively engage with labour and industry and bring much needed stability to ports, which are of enormous importance to our provincial and national economies.”

With the appointment, the province is acting on recommendations  by mediators Vince Ready and Corrin Bell under a March 2014 Joint Action Plan. It also follows the December enactment of the Container Trucking Act, which provids fair wages and working conditions for truckers to ensure the efficient operations and global competitiveness of Port Metro Vancouver.

The appointment also follows the December release of the proposed rate structure for truckers serving the port. The rate structure, announced on Dec. 15, is intended to provide fair wages to truckers. Retroactive to last April 3, hourly employees will be paid at least $25.13 on hire and $26.28 after one year of cumulative service, including benefits (COHSN, Dec. 22). Hourly paid independent operators will be paid $50.13 hourly on hire and $51.28 after one year of cumulative service, including benefits. In addition, short trips of less than five kilometres made by independent operators will be paid $50 per trip, and all truckers will be paid at a minimum of four hours of work for callout.

Comp board revises oh&s training

The Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador (WHSCC) has announced that it has revised oh&s training based on feedback from industry, training providers and safety associations.

The certification training program for Occupational Health and Safety Committees and Worker Health and Safety Representatives/Designates (WHSR/Ds) will come into effect on July 1. The new training program will be shorter, with a minimum of 14 hours, and has been condensed into one course for both oh&s committees and WHSR/Ds, the WHSCC reported in a statement on Feb. 2. The program content will also be updated to include a practical component, reflect new legislation, introduce case studies and use new training materials.

Once participants have completed this new program, they will be required to renew their certification every three years.

The WHSCC said in the statement that the training that many oh&s committee members have already completed will continue to be valid for a period of time. Through a phased-in approach, those who have already completed the existing training program have until June 30, 2018 to re-certify, and then must renew their certification every three years thereafter.

Tom Mahoney, executive director of worker services with the WHSCC, said that it is important to offer training to oh&s committees to make them aware of their responsibilities. Mahoney added that the number of oh&s committees in the province has more than tripled in the last decade, with over 3,800 committees as of the end of last year.

Oh&s committee training is now available province-wide from more than 95 training providers. Trainers are required to attend a curriculum orientation session in order to be ready to deliver the new program, with sessions beginning in March.

For more information on the revised training, visit www.whscc.nl.ca. To register for a session, contact the WHSCC at (709) 778-2926 or 1-800-563-9000.

Smartphone app zones in on workplace stress

The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) has designed a smartphone app to help employees understand workplace stress.

The Measure Workplace Stress app, available at http://www.ohcow.on.ca/MITApp, was designed by OHCOW with help from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. The app allows users to fill out the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire and have their responses automatically scored, OHCOW said in information posted on its website.

After starting the app, the user is asked to respond to 25 screens of questions about work demands, organizational factors, relationships, workplace values, health and safety concerns, stress symptoms and offensive behaviours. Some examples of questions include:

  • Do you have enough time for your work tasks?
  • Do you have a large degree of influence concerning your work?
  • How often do you get help and support from your nearest superior?
  • How well are safety concerns managed? and
  • Have you been exposed to bullying at the workplace during the last 12 months?

After users answer the questions, each item is scored in comparison to a reference population so they can see how they compare. “For items where your score is worse than the reference population, you can click on an icon that takes you to a pop-up that describes some ideas on dealing with that particular factor,” the information said.

Although stress is a normal part of life and work, too much can lead to debilitating health effects, including depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and other mental illnesses or injuries, said information from the Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) in Toronto. Research also suggests that stress is a significant contributing factor to health conditions ranging from the common cold and musculoskeletal disorders to heart disease and cancer.

The WHSC noted that mental illnesses, which account for approximately 30 per cent of short- and long-term disability claims in Canada, are estimated to cost the Canadian economy more than $50 billion annually. The direct cost to businesses in lost productivity and turnover is estimated at more than $6 billion.

Yukon Agriculture fined for fatal accident

WHITEHORSE, Yukon — The Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board (YWCHSB) has fined Yukon Agriculture and a contractor, after a man died while capturing wild horses last year. On Jan. 26, 2014, Arnold Johnson was working with a Yukon livestock control officer to capture the horses near Kusawa Lake, about 60 kilometres west of Whitehorse, the YWCHSB said in a statement. The Department of Energy, Mines and Resources had hired contractor Dan Sabo to capture the horses. Sabo built a fence corral and baited the horses into it, but when the workers were connecting the metal panels to the fence, the horses bolted. The statement said that one horse had become tangled in a fence panel behind which Johnson was standing. Johnson was knocked to the ground and the horse rolled over him; he suffered a head injury and died in hospital the following day. After a 10-month investigation, the YWCHSB fined Yukon Agriculture $5,000 for failing to establish a complete oh&s program. Sabo was fined $750 for failing to properly assess the risks associated with the job and for not providing appropriate personal protective equipment.

BC Coroners Service alters inquest date

BURNABY, B.C. — The BC Coroners Service (BCCS) has announced revisions to its plans for inquests into the deaths of four workers who died in two sawmill explosions in 2012. Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe announced last August that the deaths from the two explosions would all be examined in a single inquest on March 2 in Prince George. “On consideration of further information provided and presentations from the families, survivors, communities and inquest participants, two separate inquests will now be held,” the BCCS said in a statement. Robert Luggi Jr., 45, and Carl Charlie, 42, were killed in the Burns Lake explosion on Jan. 20, 2012; Alan Little, 43, and Glenn Roche, 46, died as a result of the Lakeland Mills explosion in Prince George on April 23 of that year. The BCCS said that the inquest into the Lakeland Mills incident will proceed as scheduled on March 2, but the inquest into the Babine Forest Products mill deaths will be held on July 13.

Worker dies while unloading trailer

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — The BC Coroners Service (BCCS) has confirmed the identity of a male who died following an industrial accident at the Fountain Tire facility in Kamloops on Jan. 27. Nicklas Taylor, 36, was unloading a trailer load of tires when he somehow became trapped by a very large tire at about 6 a.m., the BCCS said in a release. The BCCS and WorkSafeBC continue to investigate the fatality.

Mineral exploration advisory board set up

YELLOWKNIFE, N.W.T. — David Ramsay, Northwest Territories’ Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, has announced that a new advisory board has been established to help ensure that the territory is an attractive place to invest in mineral exploration and discover new mines. “The Mining Industry Advisory Board will be a great addition to help to develop a robust mineral industry in the N.W.T.,” Ramsay said in a statement on Jan. 28. “The volunteer board will provide advice to government to ensure mining regulation is in place that encourages economic growth while maintaining high regulatory, environmental and social standards.” The board will consist of five to seven members who have direct experience in the N.W.T. minerals industry.

Asbestos abatement company fined

AMHERSTVIEW, Ont. — Asbestos abatement company Recovery Abatement & Insulation Ltd. was fined $25,000 on Jan. 21, after workers were exposed to asbestos dust on a job site. In addition, supervisor Gregory Simpson was fined $4,000, after pleading guilty to failing to ensure that workers used protective clothing and equipment. On May 15, 2014, three workers were on the site of a single family home in Amherstview; the work was an enclosed asbestos abatement project. That afternoon, a Ministry of Labour (MOL) inspector attended the location to conduct an inspection, during which the inspector found one of the workers exiting the enclosed area of the project wearing street clothing. Another worker was securing bags filled with asbestos-containing material without protective gear, while a third worker, who was performing clean-up work, was unprotected. The company was fined for contravening Section 15.14 of Ontario Regulation 278/05, which states that only persons wearing protective clothing and equipment should enter a work area where there is an asbestos dust hazard. Simpson was fined after pleading guilty to failing, as a supervisor, to ensure that an employee worked in the manner and with the protective devices, measures and procedures, as required by the regulation.