It’s just about time for implementation of Bill 168, which covers workplace violence and harassment. Are you prepared?

The law goes into effect June 15, and defines workplace violence very specifically, as the actual, attempted or threat of physical violence against a worker in a workplace.  The new law defines workplace harassment as “engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.”

The bill marks the first time in Ontario labour history that the responsibility to protect employees from workplace violence and harassment will fall squarely on employers. By June 15, employers will be required to create and implement workplace violence and harassment policies, to conduct risk assessments and reassess as necessary and even to disclose information to workers about a person’s history of violence, under certain specific circumstances. The law also extends to workers the right to refuse work if they believe they are at risk of injury due to workplace violence.

Implementing policies and procedures that are in compliance with Bill 168 will be no small task, and if your company hasn’t started yet, you might consider doing so now. Experts have made numerous suggestions regarding implementation, all of which will take some time. For example, some have suggested that work organization is very important in implementing policies such as these. Much like other types of risk assessments, you should look at how you do each job from every angle, and consider every possible way to mitigate the risk.

Many experts also suggest focusing on your company’s organizational culture in order to create an environment in which workplace violence or harassment will be less likely to occur. Companies might consider adopting a pre-employment screening program for applicants to determine whether they have criminal records, for example. It might also be a good time to develop a strong employee orientation system, in which new employees are evaluated not only on their job skills, but their tendency to handle difficult situations.

According to some experts, leadership is a key factor in creating a violence- and harassment-free workplace. After completing anti-harassment and sexual harassment training, managers and supervisors should be able to demonstrate the behaviours they hope to see in the workplace, since they will be expected to lead by example.

Worker involvement in any new set of policies is also considered critical in implementation. By involving employees in policy creation and risk assessment, you create a greater awareness of the problem and its solutions, and make violence and harassment problems less likely.

But the key to stemming the tide of workplace violence and harassment, and implementing the policies required under Bill 168 is training. Providing the training and resources necessary to be sure that all workers are aware of the new policies is critical. Critical components of the training should include more than just the policies and procedures workers need to follow in the event of a violent experience or potentially violent encounter, but also training in conflict resolution and de-escalation. After all, if they have the tools necessary to de-escalate a potentially explosive situation, it may never turn into a workplace violence situation.

Minister of Labour Rona Ambrose has announced the appointment of Leslie Elizabeth Galway as Governor representing Newfoundland and Labrador to the Council of Governors of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).

The ministry notes Galway’s significant experience and practical knowledge in the field of occupational health and safety. She has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC) of Newfoundland and Labrador since January 2008, and previous to that, she also held various positions at the Department of Business for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Newfoundland Ocean Industries Association, and the Board of Directors of Newfoundland Power Inc.

Galway’s specific occupational health and safety experience comes through her involvement with the Ministerial Advisory Council for Occupational Health and Safety for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and her service as the Head of Delegations with both the Association of Workers Compensation Boards of Canada and the Association of Workers Compensation Boards of Atlantic Canada.

The CCOHS, located in Hamilton, Ontario, was created in 1978 to promote the fundamental right of Canadians to a healthy and safe working environment. Governed by a tripartite council representing the federal, provincial and territorial governments, employers and workers, the Centre provides Canadians with unbiased and relevant information that supports responsible decision-making on health and safety issues in the workplace.

To hear the Saskatchewan government tell it, its “regulatory modernization” initiative has been a smashing success at its main mission, which is to reduce red tape greatly, since it began in 2008. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), a lobby group for business owners in the province, disagrees somewhat, and says it needs to do more.

According to the lobby group, business owners in the province spend an estimated $836 million a year to meet federal, provincial and municipal regulatory requirements, ad they would like to see that cost reduced somewhat. They don’t want to reduce the number of necessary health and safety and environmental regulations, but they would like to see a change in the bureaucracy. They say business owners spend far too much time filling out forms and making unnecessary phone calls to government agencies, and it’s having a significant negative effect on productivity, jobs and wages.

According to a recent “red tape reduction update,” the Saskatchewan government claims it has made a series of changes since 2008, including the creation of a Taxpayer Service Commitments and Standards Code to improve public service to taxpayers and vendors. Other changes the government instituted include; the establishment of a one-stop-shop type website with information on business permits and licences; the consolidation of regulations for restaurants and food-processing facilities, which allowed it to repeal three sets of food-related regulations; and a reduction in fees for transferring land titles after the death of a spouse.

The government says its goal is to make Saskatchewan’s system one of the most efficient in Canada.

The CFIB would like to see a drop in all regulatory compliance costs of 10-25% they agree that the provincial government is saying the right things about efficiency, but they could be doing a lot more.

In the wake of a rash of high-profile incidents involving high-rise construction job sites in recent months, City of Calgary officials are calling for increased safety measures at these sites.

The construction industry has seen increased scrutiny as a result of a number of incidents of falling debris from work sites in recent months. The most tragic incident occurred on Aug. 1, when a bundle of steel fell 40 metres and killed three-year-old Michelle Krsek, and injured several other family members as they strolled along the sidewalk. Since then, there have been at least four other incidents in which debris fell from a high-rise construction site in Calgary.

Recently, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association weighed in, and insisted that companies must be more diligent about understanding the risks. They suggest that company officials and workers can become lax over time and not pay proper attention to what should be relatively simple matters, like securing building materials.

The city and Alberta officials are conducting several investigations and looking at ways to increase awareness among stakeholders of their responsibility to make job sites safe. Construction sites have safety representatives whose job is to ensure proper protocols are followed, but sometimes it’s necessary to look beyond the rules and regulations.

The stated goal of the province is to “raise the profile” of workplace safety. Overall workplace injuries in Calgary have decreased in recent years, but workplace health and safety means a lot more than the raw numbers. They stress that workplace safety must become a culture; and not just something to consider when Occupational Health and Safety Inspectors show up or when tragedy happens.

Where can a person smoke these days, anyway? Obviously, you can smoke in your own home, and on your own property. Just as obviously, you can’t smoke in any workplaces, when you work with other people; that’s why you see the gaggle of folks outside in the snow huddling together to get in a few drags during a slow part of their work day. But what if you’re a truck driver and your workplace is your truck? It should be safe, right?

Well, that question may have been answered with a big “no” in Ontario, where police recently pulled over a 48-year-old trucker and slapped him with a ticket under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, meaning he faces a possible $305 fine for lighting up while driving his big rig along Canada’s busiest highway.

According to the text of the law on the government’s web site, the law forbids smoking in all workplaces and enclosed public spaces, including buildings, structures or vehicles worked in or frequented by employees. Examples on the web site include the inside of a trailer office on a construction site, the inside of a loading dock, or the inside of a delivery truck. Ontario police insist that the law is very specific about what constitutes a “workplace,” and a truck would fall under that definition.

Predictably, the Ontario Trucking Association feels that the definitions don’t quite apply to truckers, especially those who operate in other provinces or the United States, and they feel it most certainly should not apply to truckers who operate their own rigs and work alone.

Apparently, others should be worried about this stepped-up enforcement. According to some government officials, even a farmer’s enclosed tractor would be considered a work environment under the law, and he could be fined if he decided to light up. Presumably, if you’re operating your snow plow or other heavy equipment, even if you’re all alone, you’d best pull over and get out of your equipment before lighting up.

The enforcement push may not be limited to Ontario. A number of other Canadian provinces and territories have enacted stringent anti-tobacco laws prohibiting smoking in covered public places and workplaces, like restaurants and bars, as well. According to Alberta’s Health Ministry, it is technically possible for a trucker to be fined there, as well. Under Alberta’s law, the cab of a truck is considered a workplace if the driver is not alone in the rig.

So, be careful when you decide to light up; you could be hit with an unexpected expense.

During their 29th annual health and safety conference, WorkSafeNB recognized two New Brunswick companies for making vast improvements in their workplace health and safety records.

Foyer Ste. Elizabeth, a nursing home located at Baker Brook, near Edmundston, was lauded for making a leap from having a high accident frequency within its industry to becoming one of the safest nursing homes in the province within a few short years. But the commendation wasn’t the only reward the company saw; as a result of its improved safety record, its insurance premium has been reduced by $50,000 a year since introducing a safety program in 2004. The company has also reduced its injury frequency rate to a level 35 per cent below the provincial industry rate.

Irving Personal Care Limited, Canada’s only manufacturer of baby diapers and training pants, was touted by Worksafe NB as “an ideal example” of a company that puts safety first through on-the-job training and financial incentives. The plant operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and employs 140 full-time workers. But while the company has doubled its workforce since it opened in 2004, it has also decreased its lost-time claims by about 53 %, and is now 33% below the industry average.

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WorkSafeNB is highlighting these companies to show that safety pays. Putting safety first is not only good for the health of the workers, but also for the bottom line.

A supplier and mender of the rolls used in paper-making machines, Xerium Canada, Inc., was fined $60,000 on October 2, 2009, for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was injured.

In an incident that occurred on March 19, 2008, workers at Xerium’s North Bay facility were attempting to repair a machine used to mix bonding liquid. The power to the machine was turned off and the protective guards covering the machine’s drive shaft were removed so that they could work. The workers again turned on the machine, but failed to replace the guards immediately. As a result, one of the workers caught his sleeve in the machine’s moving parts.

Xerium Canada Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the machine’s driveshaft and gears were guarded to prevent access to their pinch points.

The $60,000 fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Susan Hilton. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25% victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

That’s $75,000 total off of the company’s bottom line, because workers forgot to do something deceptively simple that would have taken a few seconds, at most. Building a culture of safety, in which workers are trained to consider every detail before they even flip a switch, is worth every bit of the up-front investment your company puts forward.

Alberta Occupational Health & Safety has recognized nearly 700 companies across Alberta for their superior health and safety records.

The agency made the announcement last week, praising all of the companies for placing major emphasis on safety, and for integrating safety into all phases of their operations, even in rough economic times. One of the main benefits of such recognition is that all such companies can use the 2008 Best Safety Performer logo, and let prospective workers know that these companies put a premium on making sure workers get to go home after a hard day’s work.

According to OH&S, to be recognized as a best safety performer, employers are required to meet specific criteria, including a current certificate of recognition from the department’s injury-reduction education program. They must also be able to claim 60 consecutive person-years worked with no disabling injuries, have no outstanding compliance orders from OH&S, no violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act in the previous two years and no work-related fatalities in the previous three years. In other words, it requires a clean safety record.

If 700 Alberta companies can manage a clean safety record, why can’t most of them?

These 700 companies will be able to attract the best of the best to their workplaces, and they will be able to point to their stellar reputation for safety in their promotional materials. Once again, we see a demonstration that safety doesn’t cost companies. In the long run, a safe workplace pays.

Apparently, companies running Calgary highrise construction sites are having a difficult time keeping everything in place, and the result seems to be a rash of serious safety problems downtown.

The latest incident happened on September 26, when part of the scaffolding flew off the 19th floor of the Homburg-Harris Centre construction site and landed on a parkade ramp. No one was hurt in this particular incident, but this is the third incident of flying debris from a highrise construction site in downtown Calgary in less than two months. On August 29, vehicles were forced to dodge flying glass, as it broke loose and fell 18 stories. On August 1, a three-year-old pedestrian was killed, and several other family members seriously hurt, when a piece of sheet metal blew from another highrise construction site during a windstorm Aug. 1.

The site of the latest incident, run by Centron Construction Group, saw a tragic accident in May, when rigger Lance James Orr was killed as he assisted a crane operator in moving concrete forms on the 21st floor.

The construction site was immediately placed under a stop-work notice, and provincial and municipal investigators are examining the scaffolding and staff training measures in place, as well as the company’s procedures for erecting and moving scaffolding. They are also looking at whether there is a connection between all of the recent incidents of falling debris at construction sites.

It’s not known whether the Homburg-Harris Centre site was one of 20 in Calgary already under the Occupational Health and Safety review launched last month. All companies involved in these incidents face charges for allowing an unsafe situation, even when no one is hurt, because the companies who run these sites are responsible for them at all times, even when no workers are present.

Thanks to a $20,000 investment by the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB), the Port aux Basques area in Newfoundland and Labrador has a permanent household hazardous waste collection depot. It is the second such permanent depot to open in the province. The first opened in St. Anthony in July.

This is seen as a crucial step for MMSB in its effort to implement the province’s overall waste management strategy. They established the household hazardous waste depot pilot program based on the success of its annual household hazardous waste collection program, in which they provide a free drop-off service to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador semi-annually. The pilot program hopes to determine the feasibility and cost effectiveness of year-round availability of permanent depots around the province .

The Port aux Basques area depot will be open Mondays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for residents of the town, as well as Cape Ray, Fox Roost-Margaree, Isle aux Morts and Burnt Islands to drop off their materials, free of charge.

Various types of waste will be collected through the program, including all types of household cleaners, oil-based paints, paint thinners, fertilizers, car batteries, medications, and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Items such as ammunition, explosives, biomedical wastes, commercial wastes and fireworks will be prohibited.