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Serious insight for serious situations.

Serious insight for serious situations.

The Metron saga nears its end: Project manager is convicted and faces sentencing

Background The tragic saga of Metron Construction Incorporated, which spurred a comprehensive review of the Ontario OHS system, began on Christmas Eve of 2009. Metron was hired to restore concrete balconies on 2 high-rise buildings in Toronto’s west end, known as the Kipling Project. On Christmas Eve 2009, a crew of 6 men was on a

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The intersection of workplace violence and occupational health & safety: A tragic reminder marks the fifth anniversary of Bill 168

On June 7, 2015, a Calgary gas station attendant attempting to prevent a “gas-and-dash” was run down by the vehicle; and she later died of her injuries. This tragedy made headlines across the country; and reports indicate that the employee, Maryam Rashidi, was only on her third day on the job when the incident occurred.

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Winter safety blitz: Getting a grip on slips and trips in the winter of 2015

For those of us in Ontario, Quebec, the Prairies and Atlantic Canada, 2015 has so far been a never-ending story of winter. Work, however, must nevertheless carry on despite snow, ice, slush, and record breaking cold temperatures. However, with these plunging temperatures and slippery conditions comes an increased potential for twisted ankles, broken bones and

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Beer may create a workplace hazard, even if it isn’t consumed

Alcohol use in the workplace has been the subject of significant discussion by employment lawyers and Canadian jurists in recent years. In 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada held, in Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 30 v. Irving Pulp & Paper, Ltd., that employers do not have an automatic right to impose

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Corporate directors jailed after worker fatality

An Ontario court has recently ordered two corporate directors to each serve 25 days in jail after they pleaded guilty to safety violations that led to the death of a worker. New Mex Canada Inc., an importer and retailer of furniture and accessories, and directors Baldev Purba and Rajinder Saini, were charged under the Occupational

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Occupational health and safety: Bell’s “Let’s Talk Day” puts the spotlight on mental health

This past Wednesday, January 28, was Bell Canada’s “Let’s Talk Day”, an annual event in which the communications giant makes additional donations (beyond its other contributions throughout the year) to Canadian mental health programs based on the number of text messages, wireless and long distance calls, and certain tweets and Facebook shares transmitted by its

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2015: An important year for workplace violence laws?

In response to the recent cases of violence against nurses at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) has stated that nurses face an epidemic of workplace violence. In December 2014, the Ontario Ministry of Labour laid charges against CAMH relating to an incident involving the alleged beating of

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Occupational health & safety update: What federally regulated employers need to know about recent amendments to the Canada Labour Code

As of October 31, 2014, several amendments to the occupational health and safety (“OHS”) provisions of the Canada Labour Code (the “Code”) came into effect. Those amendments may have significant implications for federally-regulated organizations, particularly inasmuch as Parliament has now transferred statutory authority from “a health and safety officer” directly to the Minister of Labour,

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