Canadians have many things to be thankful for, and among them is the joy of experiencing four true seasons in all of their splendor. There are certain areas in Canada that experience seasonal weather events more frequently than others. For…
Author: Gary Stevenson (page 3)
What Counts as a Confined Space
Defining whether a space is confined or not is still something that tends to cause some confusion in the workplace. So, let’s simplify what can sometimes be a grueling task. In Ontario, Regulation 632/05 defines confined spaces as: a fully…
Cell Phones in the Workplace: The Health and Safety Pros and Cons
Cell phones are part and parcel of everyday life. It’s hard to imagine that less than 20 years ago, carrying a cell phone was a concept many people did not ever think would apply to the masses, and yet, here…
Onboarding and Offboarding Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) Members
When JHSC members join the committee, it’s often with little fanfare. When members finish their tenure on the committee, they normally leave without fanfare as well. Sometimes, JHSC membership term lengths are defined in the “Terms of Reference,” and other…
Top 5 Tips & Tricks to Keeping Training Records
There are many benefits to keeping training records. Compliance with legislation is a big one that comes to mind, but outside of legal obligations, there are many other benefits to keeping well-organized training records, such as: Easily identify who has…
Employees: You have Health and Safety Responsibilities, Too!
There’s a ton of literature and online content available that is dedicated to espousing the various – and very important – health and safety responsibilities of the employer. While the employer does have some of the most important responsibilities, employees…
Proper Follow-up Procedures for Joint Health & Safety Committee Workplace Inspections
Workplace inspections are one of the most important functions of the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC). Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), s.9(23), the JHSC must designate a non-management member to inspect the workplace. If possible, the…
Is Daylight Saving Time a Health and Safety Hazard?
A Brief History of Daylight Saving Time The concept of daylight saving is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin; however, the idea actually belongs to George Hudson of New Zealand. The first country to adopt daylight saving was Germany in 1916.…
Health and Safety Implications of Having Dogs in the Workplace
Until recently, bringing your four-legged, furry pal to work was unheard of. For the most part, it still is. However, some employers are exploring the benefits of allowing employees to bring their dogs to work. For dog lovers, it’s a…