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Occupational Health and Safety

July 4, 2008

High-school construction teacher fined after dispute with Ministry of Labour inspector

A high school construction co-op teacher has been fined after pleading guilty to an occupational health and safety charge.

July 2, 2008

New tunnel safety regulation opposed by British Columbia unions

Two groups representing unionized construction workers in British Columbia are voicing their opposition to proposed changes to safety regulations for tunnelling.

June 20, 2008

Two London, ON healthcare projects reach financial close

Infrastructure Ontario, London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care, London, announced on June 18, 2008, that the hospitals and EllisDon Corporation have achieved financial close to build and finance their redevelopment projects.

June 11, 2008

Panel urges New Brunswick safety commission to boost inspections and fines

New Brunswick’s workplace health and safety commission should boost inspections, fines and stop-work orders to help eliminate injuries and accidents, says an independent review panel.

May 30, 2008

Armstrong Report: Findings of Compulsory Certification proposal review

Tim Armstrong recently completed his review of a proposal to expand compulsory certification for individual trades.

May 16, 2008

WorkSafeBC offers rebates to construction companies that complete COR program

WorkSafeBC, the occupational health and safety authority for the province of British Columbia, recently announced that it is increasing rebates from five per cent to 10 per cent for construction companies that complete the Certificate of Recognition (COR) program.

May 6, 2008

Sault Ste. Marie Construction Association’s health and safety training program grows

With more than 330 students and 23 courses to choose from, the Sault Ste. Marie Construction Association recently completed its second annual health and safety training week. Courses included construction health and safety orientation, first aid/CPR, lock and tag out, aerial man lift, trenching safety, power-actuated tools, fall arrest, WMIS and rigging.

May 2, 2008

Older workers’ injury picture tells two different stories: WSIB

When the Ontario government abolished mandatory retirement at age 65 in 2005, the construction industry was given the opportunity to keep willing workers on its rosters longer.

May 2, 2008

Father recounts story of son’s promising life and tragic workplace death at CSAO meeting

Jim Sandford recently drove home the issue of workplace safety to Construction Safety Association of Ontario members by retelling the tragic story of his son’s workplace death three years ago.

April 21, 2008

Manitoba vows to cut workplace injury rate

The Manitoba government has pledged to cut the province’s workplace injury rate by about 15 per cent over the next five years, though new statistics suggest there’s a long way to go.

January 19, 2006

Safety training stepped up in oil sands, chemical valley

New construction projects in both the Sarnia area and in Fort McMurray, Alberta have one thing in common — safety training is a priority for the thousands of construction workers entering area workforces.

January 19, 2006

On the fringe of nanotech safety

As applications of nanotechnology change the composition and properties of materials construction workers handle every day, questions about worker safety continue to arise.

January 19, 2006

Ontario clamps down on

Construction companies caught violating provincial health and safety regulations in Ontario can expect more than a rap on the knuckles this year as the government toughens its stand on rule breakers.

January 19, 2006

Keep your shirt on? It’s not law in Canada - yet

Last year, the European Parliament (EP) was at loggerheads over controversial legislation intended to protect outdoor workers — including construction workers — from exposure to sunlight.

January 19, 2006

Musculoskeletal Disorder

The Ontario Ministry of Labour is rolling out a new program to help reduce work-related musculoskeletal injuries. Its Pains and Strains campaign will use a combination of education and enforcement to reduce these injuries.

January 19, 2006

Construction fashions for women

Entrepreneur Elizabeth Johnston, proprietor of Toronto’s Working Woman Workwear, has come up with a better mousetrap: coveralls and other protective clothing specifically designed for the female form.

January 19, 2006

Reporting unsafe work conditions

Ontario workers who report unsafe working conditions to the authorities have the benefit of protection from any reprisals from employers.

January 19, 2006

Interior systems contractors boast low accident rates

One group of contractors that doesn’t fear the Ministry of Labour’s move to clamp down on contractors breaking health and safety regulations is the Interior Systems Contractors Association of Ontario (ISCA).

January 19, 2006

Prepare your company for increased MOL

Now more than ever, Ontario construction companies need to take a hard look at how health and safety is being managed in the workplace, and take proactive steps to mitigate the potential consequences of Ontario’s enforcement onslaught.

January 19, 2006

Electronic safety training gains momentum

Bob Christie, a partner in Edmonton-based Christie Communications Ltd., says safety training has come a long way from the 1970s when a colleague was asked by a manager at a coal mine: “Are we running a coal mine here or a f***ing college?”

January 19, 2006

Butting out on the job site

Workplace smoking legislation has largely bypassed the construction industry on the assumption that any smoking takes place in the open air.

January 19, 2006

WHMIS training essential in construction safety

The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) has been in place since 1988, classifying hazardous products in the workplace and training workers to recognize and interpret safety data.

January 19, 2006

Safety inspectors having a positive impact

The province is making good on its promise to hire additional Ministry of Labour health and safety inspectors to cut down on workplace injuries and deaths.

January 19, 2006

New safety audit certificate opens doors

Abiding by new national safety audit standards for all construction sectors will make it easier for small and medium sized contractors to get work outside Ontario.

January 19, 2006

Not all safety guidelines are created equal

The Illinois-based American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) has released workplace safety tips aimed at helping reduce injuries and illnesses for women in the construction industry.