Written by Cheryl Edwards,
May 2008
By way of reminder, Bill C-45 amended the Criminal Code to create new duties and possible criminal liability for individuals and organizations, which include corporations. Because of the complexity of these Criminal Code requirements, and the amount of time that has been passed since they became law in March 2004, answers to key questions about Bill C-45 amendments are set out below, as follows.
By the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
The first month in a new job can be a risky one, as these workers are five to seven times more likely to be injured than experienced workers. A common misconception about the higher rate of injuries among new workers is that age is a factor. However, it has nothing to do with age. It’s because the worker is new to the job and needs proper orientation and training to be safe and successful. As university, high school and migrant workers flood into Ontario workplaces, take advantage of this timely opportunity to keep them safe.
Excerpt from the Government of Ontario’s ‘Newsroom’
Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital Corporation, Burlington, was fined $10,000 on December 8, 2009, for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after workers became ill.
On April 30, 2008, Joseph Brant Memorial was informed that a patient who had just been admitted to the hospital had been in contact with scabies, a highly contagious skin rash caused by microscopic mites. The next day, the hospital’s infection control manager implemented a scabies surveillance protocol at the hospital. Hospital workers reported skin rashes from late May to late July 2008. During July, two workers were diagnosed with scabies and lost time from work.
Excerpt from the OH&S Canada magazine
A window washer plummeted to his death, on August 18, 2009, from the 18th storey of a downtown skyscraper Tuesday afternoon. He fell onto a platform of the Blue Cross building at the corner on President-Kennedy Ave. and Aylmer St. at 1:30 p.m.