If your employees perform outdoor work, you must take safety precautions to protect them from hazardous plants. Contact with hazardous plants, such as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac, can cause allergic reactions. Exposure to some toxic plants, such as giant hogweed, can lead to severe burns and even blindness. It is critical that...
Under the Occupational Health and Safety laws, it is the employer’s general duty to take all reasonable precautions for the health and safety of their employees. This includes protecting staff working in hot conditions from heat stress and heat stroke. Given the high temperatures southern regions of Canada experience during summer, it is important that...
Wildfire smoke is a seasonal health hazard that employers should be prepared for, especially if their business requires outdoor work. Wildfires are common typically between May and September. Not only do they cause widespread damage to life and property, but smoke from wildfires can also travel great distances and affect air quality in surrounding areas....
Suicide is among the top ten causes of death in Canada. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, about 4,000 people die by suicide every year. The tragic and devastating outcome of mental health issues can affect anyone, regardless of their profession or socioeconomic status. As an employer, you have a unique responsibility to create a supportive work...
The unofficial holiday observing the supposed saddest day of the year is upon us. In 2023, Blue Monday is on January 16. What is Blue Monday? Blue Monday, deemed to be the most depressing day of the year, falls on the third Monday in January. It was started as a PR gimmick by a UK...
According to a report, one in three Canadians struggles with their mental health. The report is hardly surprising. Since the pandemic, people have suffered personal loss and experienced financial difficulties, with prolonged isolation and uncertainty leading to an increase in depression, anxiety, addictions, and thoughts of self-harm. Even before the pandemic, though, mental health was...
As an employer, you have a legal obligation to take all reasonable precautions to ensure a safe workplace for your employees. This includes identifying seasonal hazards and taking steps to reduce related risks. Ignoring winter hazards could lead to injuries, absences, lost-time compensation claims, and even litigation. We recommend that you review and update your...
In 2022, Ontarians submitted 196,000 claims to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Within these WSIB claims, 31,549 employees reported occupational diseases, 1,449 reported mental stress, and 56 reported traumatic fatalities. The WSIB provides benefits and services to Ontario workers who have been injured at work or who have diseases related to work, including...
