Prolonged exposure to excessive noise in the workplace can cause hearing loss. Noise induced-hearing loss is a major occupational health and safety issue, especially in industries such as construction, manufacturing, mining. As the employer, it is your duty to take all reasonable steps to provide a safe workplace for your staff. If your employees are...
Even at the peak of the pandemic, essential workers were going to work every day. They have been putting their lives at risk to provide critical services to their communities. If you operate an essential business, you may be all too familiar with the psychological strain involved. Dealing with a distraught public during a deadly...
Ontario has increased its health and safety inspection blitzes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In retail alone, inspectors have visited more than 2,308 big-box stores and other essential businesses. Till February 10, 2021, 218 tickets had been issued during 16 inspection campaigns. Workplace safety has never been more crucial than at present. As your business deals with the...
It is natural to feel occasional anxiety whether related to events at work or in personal life. However, excessive fear and worry over every day or minor concerns that interferes with daily life may be a sign of severe anxiety. Wait, isn’t anxiety the same as stress? No. Stress is your body’s natural response to...
The new regulations on workplace harassment and violence under Bill C-65 came into effect on January 1, 2021. Bill C-65 amended provisions in the Canada Labour Code (CLC) on workplace harassment and violence. It received royal assent in October 2018. All federally regulated employers are now obligated to investigate, record, report, prevent and provide training on addressing...
While employers must take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of employees in the workplace, it is important to have a policy in place to effectively respond to workplace injuries. It is also useful to have a policy on available modified work opportunities to help injured employees make a safe transition back to work. If...
We’re all tired of this pandemic. Tired of washing our hands, of being cooped indoors, remembering to mask up when we go outside, sanitizing groceries and socially distancing all the time. But these measures, inconvenient as they may be, are critical to surviving this crisis. And given the surge in COVID-19 cases the world over,...
The COVID-19 pandemic has so far claimed more than 10,000 lives in Canada. Due to travel restrictions or visitor limits at hospitals, many may have missed out on being with their ailing family members in their final moments. Some may have exchanged last words over a video call. Close contacts in quarantine or at-risk relatives may have...
Sitting has been the new smoking for long. Research says if you sit for more than eight hours a day with no physical activity, you face the same risk of premature death as those who smoke or are obese. According to the World Health Organization, physical inactivity is responsible for six per cent of deaths globally. It is a risk factor for several health conditions including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, colon cancer, depression and anxiety....
Ontario is now in the grip of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. To prevent further spread of the virus and to ensure businesses are following Public Health guidelines on workplace safety, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour is hiring 98 more health and safety inspectors. This step will increase the number of MOL inspectors across the...
