Excerpt from the OH&S Canada magazine
The lack of training or just the lack of understanding of a confined space and its associated hazards was at the heart of an accident at a Quebec campsite. This happens a few years ago, (August 2004, to be exact) and an employee of Camping Lac Du Repos, located in the municipality of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, was trying to unclog the outlet pipe of the campground’s septic system when the deadly events were set in motion.
David Ellis, aged 17, reported to New Sun Cookies in Oakville, Ontario, on February 11, 1999 just in time to begin his 7:00 am shift. It was his second day on the job.
A trenching accident happened on a golf course in Saskatchewan in 2008 during the installation of new water and sewer pipes. The Elkridge Golf and Conference Centre pleaded guilty to four charges after a worker was partially buried in a trench. They received a fine of $14,000.
The OPP, along with safety inspectors from the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of the Environment checked 1431 commercial vehicles on some of the busiest highways in Ontario during a successful 24-hour safety blitz. The final total of charges reached 355. This compares to 1,532 vehicles stopped and only 285 charges laid during the same time frame last year. Inspectors checked trucks for poor maintenance, environmental violations and any mechanical problems.