Occupational Health & Safety

 

Ever since my work related accident/incident back in 1999, I spent a lot of time looking at workers on jobsites especially Private Homes not just on large work sites. I wonder, do Contractors tell their costumers (private home owners), that they share the responsibility of OHS while the job is being completed and must follow OHSA and if something was to happen they could be charged under

Duties of owners

OHSA sections 29(1) The owner of a workplace that is not a project shall, (A)ensure that (iii) the workplace complies with the regulations.

or do they just say don't worry I have WSIB,

I work in every area of the City of Ottawa, and this allows me to see workers work unsafe day in day out.

 

Years following my incident I took many OHS courses to the point where it allowed me to be Certified as a Construction Health & Safety Officer, and started my Health & Safety Business [Due Diligence]. I follow the Ontario Ministry of Labor and Court Bulletins it carries a wealth of information. Each and everyday we hear of someone having a job related incident, either minor, critical or fatal, yet construction companies choose to work unsafely.  

 Note: Nobody is tied off or wearing hard hats.

 

This is a picture that I copied from the internet of a roofing company advertising helpers wanted. Every time I drive by a worksite, I look to see if I can spot any safety violations and I would not be lying if I said 95% of roofers don't  wear ANY PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT  whatsoever.  The same for siding installers.

 

Construction Companies are responsible for the Health and Safety of their employees yet all I see is companies looking just to make a profit, without a second thought to what may happen if an incident were to happen.

 

March 22 2012, Dig Safe an Ottawa based hydro-vac company well known in the industry had 1 fatality where a 31 yr. old worker got electrocuted while digging and died 4 days later. This incident was enough to close the doors of this company, and we haven't heard if any or what charges will be brought against the Owners, and supervisors of Dig Safe.

 

Just in Ottawa 2012 a construction worker:

• incident with cherry picker
• worker falls from roof at St Paul's University
• student dies at  while cutting a barrel
• new and young worker falls from roof while stripping (no PPE)

Examples can go on and on all day, near misses, from little cuts and bruises, to trips to the hospital for stitches, to broken bones, or being killed. In Canada there are 3 workers killed everyday at work, and 1 of the 3 works in Ontario.  

 

WSIB pays out Billions of Dollars every year for incidents that 98% could have possibly been avoided. The Government of Ontario pass Bill 160 and set a new Chief Prevention Officer and a Prevention Council in place to Study and make recommendations. They hired more M.O.L. investigators and gave them more responsibility and they are now charging workers for not reporting unsafe work as per the case of City of Ottawa worker was fined $1000.00.

 

I saw so much unsafe work I've taken pictures emailed the companies and sent them the pictures and asked if they knew that their employees were working unsafe, only 1 company responded and thank me and told me that they don't support unsafe work practice it would be addressed the next morning before their employees go to their job sites, the other company's had no comment and I heard nothing. I was speaking to some contractors who were up on some violations and all I heard from them was "I can't afford that kind of fine" are they crazy? Ill hire a lawyer and fight them, well all they managed to accomplish was add some legal fee's. Well Mr Contractor, its time that you take care of your OHS program because its cheaper than being convicted. Fines are going to be raising because company's are not getting the message and someone needs to pay for the M.O.L. investigators. In Alberta companies are starting to pay fines in the millions of dollars and employers and their supervisors are being charged criminally. The Metron Construction accident in Toronto Christmas eve 2009 a supervisor was charged criminally and the company and the owner paid out $390,000.00 plus a 25% victim charge.

 

Here's another pretty much the same as  above  



 

If you can't or don't know how to come up with a OHS program hire a consultant to work on yours. Its your due diligence and most times your only defense if you been charged. Is a profit more important to you than your life or the lives of your employee's. Doesn't your family or your employees families not have the right to have their daddy come home safely.

 

For the last 14 years I get reminded of my fall every day, all day and most nights. One second I'm a fit hard working man, to the next second where for the rest of my life I limp and live in pain, trust me I wish I could go back to 5 minutes before my incident, don't you make the same mistake.