Sunday, January 31, 2010

Ontario revamps OHSA

People are still dying at work. On Christmas Eve, husbands, fathers and sons died when the 'swing stage' that supported them dropped them 13 storeys to their deaths.

The law that protects them - the 'right to refuse unsafe work' - was in Ontario's Health and Safety Act.

So why did it happen?

Why did those men lose their lives at work?

The McGuinty Government announced a 'new' initiative last week. Taxpayers will pay for the Review Of Workplace Safety System In Ontario with an Expert Advisory Panel to conduct a comprehensive review of the province’s occupational health and safety prevention and enforcement system.

Will an overhaul of the law keep people alive who are afraid of losing their jobs? Afraid of being forced to leave Canada? Afraid of complaining when asked to do work that could kill them?

How does the law protect people who don't understand the language, don't know the law, and employers don't tell them?

Quebec protects their workers with 30 mandatory hours of safety training before he or she can get on a construction site. Not so in Ontario. Walk in - go to work.

How many have to die? How much do taxpayers have to pay for reviews?

Go to work - be safe - and come home to your family. It seems simple enough. How are we going to get there in Ontario?