Ontario inspected a bunch of trucks on their busiest highways between 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 18 and 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 19, 2010 and, in the process, they caught a lot of potentially dangerous drivers.

Operation Corridor is an annual highway safety initiative that focuses on high police visibility, enforcement and education opportunities on all major provincial highways. It targets aggressive commercial vehicle drivers and/or unsafe commercial vehicles.

The operation is conducted by Ontario Provincial Police, as well as inspectors from the Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of the Environment. During the operation, they stopped and checked 1,431 commercial vehicles and laid 355 commercial motor vehicle-related charges.  In addition, 31 commercial vehicles were taken out of service due to various equipment issues or hours of service violations.

The charges laid during Operation Corridor included 131 charges for speeding; 10 charges for following too closely; 17 charges for not wearing a seatbelt; 43 charges for “other” hazardous moving violations; 82 equipment-related violations; and three charges for being impaired behind the wheel.

During last year’s blitz, they stopped 1,532 vehicles and laid 285 charges.

On August 27, 2010, at 6:00 p.m., injured worker and Paralympics medalist Josh Dueck took to Empire Field and the Pacific National Exhibition in British Columbia to attempt to break a world record for the “most High Fives by any individual in 24 hours.” The record attempt was part of WorkSafeBC’s Raise Your Hand campaign — an annual initiative to increase young workers’ understanding of their safety rights and how to stay safe at work.

Dueck became paralyzed from the waist down in a workplace accident at the age of 23. Since then, he has become a world-champion para-alpine skier. He has won national and international competitions and recently won a silver medal at the 2010 Paralympics Winter Games. And as a member of the WorkSafeBC Paralympics Speaker program, he has shared his experiences with youth across British Columbia for the past several years.

Since 2007,  the Raise Your Hand campaign has used its website at RaiseYourHand.com, street teams that travel to high schools and universities around the province, and other means to raise awareness about workplace safety to the province’s 350,000 young workers.

The Ontario government recently launched an eight-week health and safety awareness campaign designed to enlighten construction workers and their employers.

They unveiled the campaign at Algonquin College, at the site of the school’s  new construction trades building, which will open to about 2,500 construction trades students next year. The new campaign follows a 90-day safety enforcement blitz of more than 2,800 construction sites.

Even though the province’s lost-time injury rate among construction workers is one of the lowest in Canada, the 90-day blitz revealed numerous violations, including improper equipment use and poor supervisor and worker training. As a result, Ontario officials decided that it was time to emphasize the need for the entire construction industry to learn the importance of safety.

The campaign is being run in Canadian cities with the highest construction activity, including Ottawa.  It is sponsored by the Ministry of Labour, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the Infrastructure Health & Safety Coalition, and will feature newspaper advertising in the key ethnic languages spoken in the construction sector, and posters will appear on construction fences.  Tip sheets for workers will be available on the ministry’s website at www.ontario.ca/ConstructionSafety.

Another aspect of the campaign revolves around a hope that the public can become more involved in providing information to ministry officials. To that end, a toll free phone number (1-877-202-0008) has been established for the public to call in and report safety issues they see. If a follow-up visit deems a jobsite unsafe, the province can issue a stop-work order in the interests of safety.

A Calgary construction worker who became a YouTube sensation when he made a joke out of high rise construction safety has been terminated by his employer.

Last week, the president and CEO of Skyway Canada, Gary Carey, confirmed that, after an internal investigation of the incident, one employee was fired.

The video, which was posted on YouTube in October 2009, shows a number of construction workers as they worked from scaffolding on the 29th storey of a condo development under construction. One worker could be seen tossing a metal clamp and passing a co-worker a metal rod. The worker who tossed the tool was fired for violating company policies. Another worker was suspended, but allowed to return to work after the investigation, after it was determined that he wasn’t involved in the prank, and had actually voiced his objections to the other workers. A third worker involved in the video is no longer with the company.

When the video was discovered online, it was passed to company and government officials, all of whom saw the behaviour as offensive, especially since it came approximately two months after the tragic death of three-year-old Michelle Krsek, who was killed by metal roofing material that fell from a downtown Calgary high rise construction site.

Skyway still has to submit a report to Occupational Health and Safety officials.

It’s been a pretty hot summer so far, and we’re not even halfway through, so perhaps this is would be a good time to remind you to take special precautions on scorching hot summer days, in order to keep your workers safe and productive.  The higher the temperature goes, the less comfortable workers feel, which makes them more prone to accidents and also causes them to slow down a bit. But just as importantly, excessive heat can be extremely dangerous, and building a culture of safety requires that you keep your workers as safe as possible.

If possible, try to reduce the demand on each worker by reducing  the level of physical exertion such as excessive lifting, climbing, or digging. If possible, try to use relief workers or assign extra workers.  Try to reschedule the most strenuous activities jobs for the cooler part of the day and reserve the hottest part of the day for routine maintenance and repair work.

For those workers who must work outside during the hot part of the day, they should wear light, very loose-fitting clothing, with long sleeves and long pants, in order to avoid serious UV damage from the sun.  For areas of the body that are still exposed, such as faces, hands and necks, be sure to have adequate supplies of good quality sunscreen on hand as well.

Make sure all outside workers are provided with plenty of water. And that should be water, as sugary drinks and drinks with caffeine actually cause faster dehydration. They should also be given plenty of breaks during which they can drink the water. It is far more beneficial to drink small amounts of water at frequent intervals than to drink a lot of water all at once. If the work is particularly strenuous and is performed in direct sunlight, try to provide a shady area or tent, where workers can sit down, drink some water and recharge.

If your workers are toiling away in an area with a combination of high temperature and high humidity,  be aware of the increased risk to such workers of heat stroke or heat exhaustion. In addition to workers who don’t take adequate breaks or drink enough water, pay close attention to workers who take certain medications, older workers or workers who are not in peak physical condition, as they are especially susceptible to complications from heat-related stress.

Some of the warning signs for heat-related illness include headaches, lightheadedness, confusion, irrational behavior, loss of consciousness, abnormally high body temperature and hot, dry skin.  When a worker starts to complain that he or she isn’t feeling well, you would do well to take the complain seriously and sit that worker down in the shade with a cup of water and let them recover.

Other potential risks to the health of workers toiling outdoors in summer aren’t necessarily heat-related. It might be a good idea to have workers regularly check for ticks, which sometimes carry Lyme Disease. Be sure to watch out for mosquitoes, which can carry West Nile Virus, and plants, such as poison oak and poison ivy, that can cause skin rashes and make it difficult to work.

If you do business in Alberta and you have a poor safety record, you’d do well to take steps to improve it, and do so quickly. It seems your days of hiding from it may be numbered.

After a bloody Tuesday last week in which two Edmonton-area workers died at work sites and another was seriously injured in an elevator accident, Alberta Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk was livid, and took to the airwaves to vow that this fall would see the public release of the identities of those provincial employers with the worst safety records.

In a radio interview in which he was asked about those recent deaths, Lukaszuk revealed that Albertans will learn the names of the province’s worst safety performers within 3-4 months. The Conservative government had first promised to release such list eight years ago, but at that time the idea was shelved.

Lukaszuk said his staff is working on the list with the help of the Workers Compensation Board (WCB). When the list is complete, anyone will be able to look up the name of a company and see the number of man-work hours they have, see how many accidents they had, and determine how they compare to industry and provincial averages.

If Alberta actually follows through with its promise and releases such a list of poor safety performers, it will become just the second province to do so. Nova Scotia began publishing the names of companies with substandard safety record after their Supreme Court ruled in favour of their release in December 2008.

This type of list could have a negative effect in two ways. The obvious impact will be with prospective employees. How many of the best workers will want to come work for you if you have a lousy safety record? And how many of your customers will take their business to another company that takes the safety of its workers more seriously?

This might be a good time to look at your safety record and look at ways to improve. The impact to your bottom line could be enormous.

In yet another accident demonstrating the danger of working near overhead power lines, workers at a construction site in Dieppe, New Brunswick had a close call when their dump truck struck some lines. Thankfully, this time no one was hurt.

The accident occurred as two dump trucks were being used as part of a road construction project. The operator of one dump truck situated his truck underneath the power line, and when a hydro line lifted the box of his vehicle, it contacted and snapped the line, and the snapped line  landed on a smaller dump truck, which caught fire.

WorkSafeNB is conducting an investigation into the incident to determine if there were any infractions under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The workers were employees of Cherryfield Contracting Ltd, which was contracted by the City of Dieppe for the construction work.

Despite the fact that there were no injuries, every precaution was taken to put out the fire, so that all workers remained safe. In fact, firefighters refused to put out the fire for about an hour because the power line was still live.

This incident happened less than two weeks after an employee of Ken Miller Excavating in Brockville, Ontario was electrocuted when his boom truck struck the power line at a construction site, as he delivered concrete sections for storm sewers.

Be prepared for some changes in road safety enforcement on Newfoundland and Labrador roads, as the government is making some changes.

As the law currently stands, if the police stop a driver, he or she will be charged with impaired driving if a breathalyzer test reveals a blood alcohol level greater than 0.08. But if the government gets its way and new changes are adopted, such drivers found to have a blood alcohol level between 0.05 and 0.08 will lose their driving privileges for seven days instead of the current 24 hour suspension. In addition, the  penalty for repeat offenders will also increase up to a maximum of six months.

The aim of the government is to protect public safety. They note that other provinces have made similar changes, to positive effect. And they’re not just targeting those who might have had an extra beer before heading out on the road. The new law would also outlaw the practice of texting while driving, as well.

And it’s not just impaired driving that has officials concerned. In Labrador, highway construction crews have been complaining that drivers are blowing through the eight construction zones on the almost 250-km drive between Wabush and Churchill Falls much too fast. In addition, there have been numerous complaints of vehicles passing in no-passing zones, and not obeying the flag persons.

Because of this, police stepped up enforcement in the area and they are aggressively ticketing motorists along the dangerous stretch of road. The province recently doubled fines for speeding in a construction zone, too, so such tickets can set you back as much as $1,500.

Put simply, if you’re not being careful out there, it’s going to cost you.

You knew it was coming.

June 15th has come and gone, and Bill 168, which amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act with respect to violence and harassment in the workplace and other matters, is now law.

The purpose of the Bill 168 amendments is to protect workers from inappropriate behaviour at work, including everything from offensive remarks to outright violence, and to reduce incidences of workplace harassment. The new law requires employers to develop policies and programs covering these issues, to train employees to ensure that policies are followed, and to create mechanisms for employees to report incidents and a process for investigating and dealing with such incidents or complaints.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act defines workplace violence as the exercise of physical force by a person against a worker, in a workplace, that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker. Because the definition includes the phrase “could cause,” verbal or written threats of violence can fall under the new law. In addition, seemingly potentially violent action might require an employer to investigate and handle the situation. This might include one employee shaking his fist at another, throwing an object in another worker’s direction or kicking something that another worker is standing on.

Workplace harassment is also covered by the new law, and is defined as any behaviour that is known or that a reasonable person would consider to be unwelcome. Harassment may involve unwelcome words or actions commonly known to be offensive, embarrassing, humiliating or demeaning to a worker or group of workers. If behaviour is in any way considered Intimidating, isolating or discriminatory, it would qualify as harassing behaviour under the law. Such harassment often involves repeated actions or patterns of behaviour, and they can include mean jokes told at a worker’s expense, or the display of images that are inappropriate for the workplace.

Unfortunately, according to a survey conducted by The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) of its members, nearly one-third of them were not ready to comply with the new law. HRPA surveyed 605 of its members between June 2 – 11, and found that 32% responded that their business would not meet its obligations before the June 15th deadline. The survey also revealed that 53% of respondents said the greatest challenge they faced would be to implement the legislation’s mandatory employee training and workplace violence reporting and investigation procedure requirements.  This despite the fact that, in a previous HRPA survey taken last summer, 75% of respondents supported the legislation.

If you are one of those companies that falls within that 32%, the Ministry of Labour wants to make it clear that they intend to enforce the new law, and suggest specific steps employers must take to comply, in order to protect workers from violence and harassment:

• Develop workplace violence and harassment policies, and develop and maintain programs to implement those new policies;
• Provide appropriate training to workers, so that they know these policies and programs and what they mean.
• Develop measures and procedures for calling for and receiving immediate assistance when workplace violence occurs or is likely to occur;
• Develop processes for reporting incidents ; and
• Conduct risk assessments and take steps to control those risks identified during the assessment.

If you need some assistance in understanding the new law, take a look at the following:

Workplace Violence and Harassment: Understanding the Law

http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/wpvh/index.php

Preventing Workplace Violence And Workplace Harassment

http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/sawo/pubs/fs_workplaceviolence.php

The Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal of British Columbia (WCAT) has granted an unnamed commercial construction company a stay of a decision that imposed an administrative penalty of nearly $40,000 on the company.

WCAT vice-chair Heather McDonald allowed the stay of a WorkSafeBC administrative penalty of $38,569.34 – which was upheld by a WorkSafeBC review officer – after ruling that paying the fine would likely cause serious financial harm to the company.

In the decision to stay the fine, McDonald wrote, “A stay is an extraordinary remedy. … The employer’s financial situation is very poor and the prospect of paying a significant penalty of over $30,000.00 will likely place the employer into bankruptcy. In all, I find that the circumstances of this case illustrate exceptional circumstances that justify granting the extraordinary remedy of a stay to the employer.”

The ruling granting the stay comes after a March 30, 2010 decision against the employer, which was the prime contractor on a multi-employer construction site in October, 2008, when a WorkSafeBC safety officer visited the work site and issued a series of orders relating to the company’s failure to: remedy workplace conditions that are hazardous to the health and safety of workers; establish a safety system; and, as prime contractor, ensure that the occupational health and safety activities of everyone at the workplace were coordinated. In addition, other orders were issued, involving specific violations, such as the presence of a number of damaged electrical cords; walkways obstructed by debris; and fall hazards.

The decision notes that, when determining whether or not to issue a stay, WCAT typically considers, among other factors: whether the appeal, on its face, appears to have merit; whether the applicant would likely suffer serious harm if the stay were not granted (for example, loss of a business); and, whether granting a stay would likely endanger worker safety. In its view, the employer provided convincing evidence that it is in an extremely difficult financial position currently, noting that the company’s year end June 30, 2009 net loss exceeded $350,000.00, and that paying the penalty at the current time would likely force the company to cease operations.  “This prospect of likely bankruptcy proceedings and closure of the business brings into the picture the factor of irreparable harm, not just serious harm,” the decision reads.