Canada
Read the latest articles and insight from Safe Supervisor Canada
How Westray Changed Canadian Safety Culture
The Westray Mine disaster of May 9, 1992 forever changed Canada’s safety culture, according to safety training consultant Wilson Bateman. Twenty-six coal miners died 20 years ago this month in an underground methane and coal dust explosion at the Westray Mine in Plymouth, NS. The disaster directly led to the enactment of federal Bill C-45 legislation late in 2003. C-45 allows for the criminal prosecution of anyone who undertakes or has the authority to direct how a person does work or performs a task, who fails to take reasonable steps to...
read moreConstruction Supervisor Fined for Trenching Violation
A Saskatoon, SK, construction supervisor has been fined more than $7,000 after pleading guilty to an Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Act charge related to failure to provide competent and sufficient supervision to workers. Travis Brunner of Brunner’s Construction Ltd. allowed workers to be in a 3.3-meter (nearly 11-foot) deep trench that was not properly shored. The charge was laid following a routine inspection by a Saskatchewan Labour Relations and Workplace Safety official. Related stories: City of Surrey Fined in Fatality OSHA...
read morePick 6 – May 2012
Odds of winning the lottery: 1 in 135,145,920 (multi-state, mega millions jackpot) Lifetime odds of being killed by a lightning strike—or being in Mother Nature’s Line of Fire: 1 in 5,000 (Reality Check: Odds of Dying) 1 way to help keep workers out of the line of fire is to perform a job hazard analysis (JHA) to identify job hazards and recommend the safest way to perform a job. 2 elements that put workers in the line of fire are being in the wrong place and being there at the wrong time. There is a danger from flying objects when the 3P...
read moreYour Safety Program: Are you “Making It Work”?
Millions of people will be celebrating safety during North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 6 to 12, 2012. The goal of NAOSH Week is simple: To focus employers, employees, partners and the public on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home and in the community. That goal is realized through many events, ranging from occupational safety and health conferences and speaker presentations, to poster displays, to safety and health training sessions across North America. “During NAOSH Week,...
read moreHand Washing is Important in Any Work Setting
WHAT’S AT STAKE Hand washing is the best way to prevent infection and keep you from becoming ill. It protects you against the flu and common cold and also helps prevent the spread of gastrointestinal infections. WHAT’S THE DANGER An estimated 40 percent of North Americans either do not wash their hands or do not do so for long enough, using soap and water for at least 15 to 20 seconds. Depending on the type of work you perform, you can also put yourself and others at serious risk by not washing your hands. The worker who handles hazardous...
read more
