News & Events

 

The OHS January Newsletter is here!

 

Ministry of Labour News

  • Worker's Injuries from Construction Site Fall in Waterloo Results in $60,000 Fine for Innisfil Company
    on April 20, 2021 at 7:30 pm

    Convicted: MTN Construction Inc., head office at 2441 Doral Drive, Innisfil, Ontario, carrying on business as a concrete formwork contractor for the construction industry. 

  • Workplace Inspectors to Visit 1,300 Construction Sites Beginning This Week
    on April 15, 2021 at 5:45 pm

    TORONTO - The Ontario government will begin targeted provincewide inspections of construction sites this Friday, dispatching 200 workplace inspectors, supported by provincial offenses officers, to visit 1,300 constructions sites to enforce safety requirements. Officers will also be visiting over 500 workplaces, including big box stores, food processors, manufacturers and warehouses, in Ottawa, Toronto and York Region, which have been identified as hot spots for COVID-19.

  • Ontario Helps Women and Youth Train and Find Good Jobs
    on April 15, 2021 at 2:30 pm

    ST. CATHARINES — The Ontario government is investing over $560,000 to offer training and mentorship for up to 60 women and youth in the Niagara Region to prepare them for careers in the construction and manufacturing industries. This funding is part of an effort to provide more people with opportunities to find meaningful, well-paying jobs while keeping Ontario competitive in sectors like construction, where it is expected to see a shortage of more than 31,000 workers over the next decade.

  • Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development to Make a Virtual Announcement
    on April 14, 2021 at 8:30 pm

    Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development will be joined by Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, to make a virtual announcement about employment and training in the Niagara region.

  • Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development to Make an Announcement about Workplace Inspections
    on April 14, 2021 at 7:30 pm

    Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, to make an announcement about workplace inspections.

  • Ontario Protecting Miners on the Job
    on April 14, 2021 at 1:45 pm

    SUDBURY — The Ontario government is investing nearly $8 million to support the province's Mine Rescue Program and help protect workers in an emergency. Part of the 2021 Budget, Ontario's Action Plan: Protecting People's Health and Our Economy, this increased funding will promote workplace safety by strengthening rescue capacity at mine sites and address gaps in the current rescue program for surface mines.

  • Ontario Supporting Career Development in the Transportation Sector
    on April 13, 2021 at 2:30 pm

    BRAMPTON — The Ontario government is investing nearly $400,000 in a skills training project to prepare 24 newcomers for careers in the trucking industry in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. The investment is part of an effort to provide more people with opportunities to find meaningful, well-paying jobs while keeping Ontario competitive in a sector that is expected to see 25,000 vacancies across Canada by 2023.

  • Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development to A Make Virtual Announcement
    on April 12, 2021 at 8:30 pm

    Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, will be joined by Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation, and Amarjot Sandhu, MPP for Brampton West, to make a virtual announcement about a new training initiative for newcomers in the transportation sector.

  • Workplace Inspection Campaign Launching In COVID-19 Hotspots
    on April 8, 2021 at 6:45 pm

    TORONTO - The Ontario government is launching a series of zero-tolerance workplace safety inspections in sectors and regions hardest hit by COVID-19, beginning tomorrow with warehouses, food processors and manufacturers in Peel and Halton Regions.

  • Ontario Supporting Careers in the Transportation Sector
    on April 8, 2021 at 4:30 pm

    WATERLOO — The Ontario government is investing $600,000 in a skills training project in the Waterloo region to prepare 30 women and individuals from underrepresented groups for careers in the trucking industry. This program will provide people with more opportunities to find meaningful, well-paying jobs and address labour shortages in the region's trucking sector.

  • Ontario Confirms First Case of Rare AstraZeneca-linked Blood Clotting
    on April 23, 2021 at 3:00 pm

    TORONTO — Today, Dr. David Williams, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, issued the following statement on the province's first confirmed case of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) in a patient after receiving the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine:

  • Select Ontario Pharmacies Offering 24/7 COVID-19 Vaccinations
    on April 20, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    TORONTO — The Ontario government, in collaboration with Shoppers Drug Mart, will offer 24/7 COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals aged 40 and over at 20 pharmacy locations, with the majority located in hot spot communities.

  • 20 Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacies Offering COVID-19 Vaccine 24/7
    on April 20, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    TORONTO — In partnership with the Ontario government, a total of 20 Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies will offer the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to individuals aged 40 and over, starting as early as April 21, 2021. Appointment availability will be dependent on the supply of the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine. Eligible individuals are encouraged to visit Ontario.ca/pharmacycovidvaccine to find a local pharmacy location for their vaccination.

  • Ontario Safely Expands Age Eligibility for AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine to 40+
    on April 19, 2021 at 1:58 pm

    TORONTO — Today, Dr. David Williams, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, issued the following statement to expand COVID-19 vaccination eligibility at pharmacies and primary care settings to individuals aged 40 and over:

  • Media Briefing on COVID-19 Modelling
    on April 16, 2021 at 12:00 pm

    Dr. Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown, Co-Chair of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health, will hold a media briefing to present updated modelling on the province's ongoing response to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

  • Ministry of Health to Hold Technical Media Briefing
    on April 13, 2021 at 12:30 pm

    Alison Blair, Associate Deputy Minister, Pandemic Response and Recovery will be joined by COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force member Dr. Dirk Huyer, Coordinator, Provincial Outbreak Response, Susan Picarello, Assistant Deputy Minister, Emergency Health Services and Julia Danos, Executive Lead, Reopening Secretariat for the Ministry of Education, to hold a technical media briefing via teleconference only to provide an update on the rollout of Ontario's vaccine distribution plan.

  • Ontario Expands COVID-19 Vaccination Locations to More Pharmacies
    on April 11, 2021 at 4:00 pm

    TORONTO — The Ontario government is rapidly increasing capacity in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout with the addition of over 700 pharmacies across the province. These locations will start offering the AstraZeneca vaccine to individuals aged 55 and older throughout this week.

  • Ontario Supporting Health System Response During Third Wave of COVID-19
    on April 9, 2021 at 11:33 pm

    TORONTO — In response to the recent and rapid rise in hospitalizations, ICU admissions and the threat to the province's critical care capacity, the Ontario government is issuing two emergency orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA). These orders will maximize system capacity, ensuring that hospitals have the resources required to provide care for patients and save lives.

  • Ministry of Health to Hold Technical Media Briefing
    on April 6, 2021 at 12:30 pm

    COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force members Dr. Dirk Huyer, Coordinator, Provincial Outbreak Response will be joined by Alison Blair, Associate Deputy Minister, Pandemic Response and Recovery, and Patrick Dicerni, Assistant Deputy Minister and Executive Officer, Drugs and Devices and Assistant Deputy Minister and General Manager, Ontario Health Insurance Plan to hold a technical media briefing via teleconference only to provide an update on the rollout of Ontario's vaccine distribution plan.

  • Ontario Extends COVID-19 Vaccination Booking to More Age Groups
    on April 1, 2021 at 10:52 pm

    TORONTO — The Ontario government is extending booking for COVID-19 vaccination appointments to more age groups through its provincial booking system in 10 public health units on Friday, April 2, 2021.

  • Looking for jobs in all the right places
    by Susan on May 3, 2023 at 4:44 pm

    Finding new opportunities for workers after workplace injuries that prevent them from returning to their previous jobs.  Recently I read about WorkSafeBC’s Hire a Worker program in the Spring 2023 issue of WorkSafe Magazine. This free service matches B.C. employers with experienced workers who have recovered from a workplace injury and are ready to return The post Looking for jobs in all the right places appeared first on Speaking of Safety.

  • Speaking from experience about workplace safety
    by Susan on April 26, 2023 at 5:28 pm

    A WorkSafeBC prevention officer shares how his personal experience with workplace injury helps him make a difference for employers and workers.  Occupational safety officer Carl Howells reinvented his career after a life-changing workplace injury. In 2011, Carl was working as a carpenter on a construction site when he was injured. As a result, he spent The post Speaking from experience about workplace safety appeared first on Speaking of Safety.

  • Click or call before you dig and keep everyone safe
    by Susan on April 19, 2023 at 6:02 pm

    BC 1 Call reminds homeowners, and commercial contractors to “click or call before you dig” into the ground for any outdoor project, big or small.  In 2020, a worker was seriously injured while operating an ATV at a vineyard. The worker was driving down an 11% slope when the ATV lurched ahead unexpectedly. The ATV The post Click or call before you dig and keep everyone safe appeared first on Speaking of Safety.

  • Best safety practices for driving ATVs at workplaces
    by Susan on April 12, 2023 at 4:48 pm

    One worker was seriously injured while driving an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) downhill in a vineyard.  In 2020, a worker was seriously injured while operating an ATV at a vineyard. The worker was driving down an 11% slope when the ATV lurched ahead unexpectedly. The ATV and its driver fell down two steep slopes. They landed The post Best safety practices for driving ATVs at workplaces appeared first on Speaking of Safety.

  • Responding to sexual harassment in tourism and hospitality workplaces
    by Susan on April 5, 2023 at 6:04 pm

    Safer Spaces raises awareness of sexual harassment in tourism and hospitality workplaces.  In 2020, 25 percent of women and 17 percent of men reported that they’d experienced inappropriate sexualized behaviours in their workplace in the past year. More than 25 percent of employees did not feel like their employer had given them information on identifying, The post Responding to sexual harassment in tourism and hospitality workplaces appeared first on Speaking of Safety.

  • Identifying and controlling risk to workers from mobile equipment
    by Susan on March 29, 2023 at 5:29 pm

    A new resource makes it easier to prevent interactions between people and vehicles before they happen.  When it comes to preventing struck-by incidents at work, simply telling workers to “pay attention” is not enough says Heather Kahle, a human factors specialist at WorkSafeBC. “We need to recognize that people can’t ‘pay attention’ to all things The post Identifying and controlling risk to workers from mobile equipment appeared first on Speaking of Safety.

  • SiteReadyBC prepares new workers for safety on the job
    by Susan on February 22, 2023 at 6:41 pm

    An online health and safety orientation course provides an introduction to how to work safely on a construction site.  Recently, I spoke with Erin Linde, director of health and safety services at the B.C. Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA). Erin is the project lead for SiteReadyBC, an online health and safety orientation program that provides an The post SiteReadyBC prepares new workers for safety on the job appeared first on Speaking of Safety.

  • Improving safety for the TV and motion picture industry
    by Susan on February 15, 2023 at 6:23 pm

    B.C. workers in the film industry will have to take Actsafe’s general safety awareness course by March 31, 2024.  Recently, I learned that Actsafe’s Motion Picture General Safety Awareness course will be mandatory for all workers in the motion picture industry. Everyone is required to complete it by March 31, 2024. To find out more The post Improving safety for the TV and motion picture industry appeared first on Speaking of Safety.

  • Online courses for workers handling electric vehicles
    by Susan on February 8, 2023 at 7:16 pm

    New safety training is available for workers in collision shops, the towing industry, and other workplaces where there are electric vehicle batteries.  Just over a year ago, I wrote about the need to raise employers’ awareness of electric vehicle (EV) safety. I spoke with Percy Chua, a manager in WorkSafeBC’s Risk Analysis Unit, who advised The post Online courses for workers handling electric vehicles appeared first on Speaking of Safety.

  • Making it easier to keep track of forms in the forestry industry
    by Susan on February 1, 2023 at 6:48 pm

    An app is in development that will enable forestry employers to use smart devices to fill out and manage health and safety paperwork.  B.C. forestry employers are trying out a new app that will make it easier to manage safety-related paperwork. The Forest Industry Reporting System (FIRS) App will enable forestry employers to fill out The post Making it easier to keep track of forms in the forestry industry appeared first on Speaking of Safety.

  • Workplace Mental Health Investment
    by Samantha Morrison on January 4, 2023 at 10:08 pm

    Did you know that in 2020 claims for workplace mental health support rose by 24% in Canada? Additionally, roughly 35% of short term disability claims are due to mental illness. These statistics are significant. As employers, you care about your workers well-being as workplace losses cost employers about $20 billion in 2020. This is a The post Workplace Mental Health Investment first appeared on Workforce Compliance Safety.

  • Occupational Health and Safety Program Rollout
    by Samantha Morrison on March 28, 2022 at 4:27 pm

    Implementing a new occupational health and safety program includes many aspects that safety managers and ownership must think about: what is currently in place? why is change needed? and what does my company need to do to be compliant? Changes in legislation, general best practices (ie. pandemic programs), and changes in scope or work location The post Occupational Health and Safety Program Rollout first appeared on Workforce Compliance Safety.

  • Alberta OHS Legislation Updates – Bill 47
    by Eric Rozan on December 16, 2021 at 11:15 pm

    Changes to OHS Laws  Effective December 1, 2021, the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act in Alberta has been updated. Bill 47: Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, updates the labor legislation to improve workplace health and safety standards. The updates to the Act simplify the language of OHS laws and regulations, making it The post Alberta OHS Legislation Updates – Bill 47 first appeared on Workforce Compliance Safety.

  • The Importance of Verifying Training Certificates
    by Eric Rozan on November 23, 2021 at 10:13 pm

    Training Tickets It is now more important than ever to confirm the validity of training tickets presented by workers. Illegitimate training tickets are becoming increasingly common, raising a serious issue with many implications impacting several Canadian provinces. According to the Calgary Herald, “Evidence leads RCMP to believe most of the forged certificates were sold in The post The Importance of Verifying Training Certificates first appeared on Workforce Compliance Safety.

  • The Value of Improving your Daily Toolbox Talk
    by Eric Rozan on November 23, 2021 at 9:43 pm

    Daily Toolbox Talk Toolbox talks are a great way to educate your workers about workplace health and safety and improve employee morale in doing so. Toolbox talks are brief safety meetings that take place before a shift starts on the worksite and play a big role in building a positive safety culture in your organization. The post The Value of Improving your Daily Toolbox Talk first appeared on Workforce Compliance Safety.

  • Why Execs Need to Invest in Safety
    by Eric Rozan on October 28, 2021 at 5:27 pm

    Company executives hold a high level of power in an organization to ensure operations run smoothly and budgets are met. With safety programs emerging as a major need in the workplace, it directly affects the operational effectiveness of any organization. With this in mind, why is it so difficult to convince executives of its value? The post Why Execs Need to Invest in Safety first appeared on Workforce Compliance Safety.

  • How to Build a Strong Safety Culture
    by Eric Rozan on September 28, 2021 at 2:30 pm

    Why is building a safety culture so important? In light of the worldwide pandemic caused by Covid-19, health and safety standards have changed. In the workplace, protocols have become a lot more intensified and enforced. Occupational health and safety culture have become a growing trend as demand surges post-pandemic. The question now lies in how The post How to Build a Strong Safety Culture first appeared on Workforce Compliance Safety.

  • Post Pandemic Worksite Emerging
    by Julie Tilley on April 8, 2021 at 2:29 pm

    What does the industrial worksite look like post Covid? Expect a return to physical workspaces enabled by technology innovation. The post Post Pandemic Worksite Emerging first appeared on Workforce Compliance Safety.

  • Online Safety Training is our Future
    by Julie Tilley on March 29, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    Online safety training is efficient and accommodating. With the advancement in multimedia engagement over the Internet, online courses confidently offer certification in a number of disciplines. The post Online Safety Training is our Future first appeared on Workforce Compliance Safety.

  • Top Five Construction Hazards & Safety Solutions
    by Sarah Anderson on September 23, 2019 at 2:39 am

    Here are some of the key health and safety considerations to be aware of in the construction industry. The post Top Five Construction Hazards & Safety Solutions first appeared on Workforce Compliance Safety.