Court Bulletin
12-16 For Immediate Release
March 6, 2012
Sarnia, ON – The Corporation of the Village of Point Edward was fined $75,000 today for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was killed.
On January 30, 2010, members of the village’s paid volunteer fire department were participating in ice water rescue training. After doing swimming and floating exercises, the workers were instructed to swim out to a moving sheet of ice, climb it, and ride it down the lake. Some of them could not climb the ice floe and attempted to swim back to shore. One worker, unable to climb onto shore, was pushed by the ice floe under its surface. The worker was trapped under the ice floe for about four minutes. The worker was removed but died due to being trapped in the cold water.
A Ministry of Labour investigation determined that although there was rescue equipment in one of the fire trucks parked on shore during the exercise, there was no equipment readily available to pull the worker onto shore.
The Corporation of the Village of Point Edward pleaded guilty as an employer to failing to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring that adequate rescue equipment was available for the ice water rescue training exercise.
A related charge against an individual is still before the courts and is scheduled for a trial in May.
The fine was imposed by Justice Deborah Austin. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
www.hrnc.ca
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
New Water Plumbing Inc. Fined $100,000 After Worker Killed
Court Bulletin
12-15 For Immediate Release
March 5, 2012
New Water Plumbing Inc. Fined $100,000 After Worker Killed
Toronto, ON – New Water Plumbing Inc., of Thornhill, was fined $100,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was killed.
On December 23, 2009, two workers from New Water Plumbing Inc. were in the mechanical room of a Toronto condo tower. They had taken a large exhaust fan out of its housing. As the workers were moving the fan, a light fixture they had swung out of the way swung back and hit the fan. Part of the light fixture was damaged, allowing its electrical charge to contact the fan. The worker who was holding the fan at the time was fatally electrocuted.
New Water Plumbing Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the fan was lifted, carried or moved in a way that would not endanger a worker.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Mary Anne Ross Hendriks. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
For further information:
Media contact:
Matt Blajer
Ministry of Labour
416-326-7405
Court Information at a Glance
Location: Ontario Court of Justice
70 Centre St.
Toronto, ON
Judge: Justice of the Peace Mary Anne Ross Hendriks
Date of Sentencing: March 1, 2012
Defendant: New Water Plumbing Inc.
Matter: Occupational Health and Safety
Conviction: Ontario Regulation 851, Section 45
Crown Counsel: David McCaskill
www.labour.gov.on.ca
www.hrnc.ca
12-15 For Immediate Release
March 5, 2012
New Water Plumbing Inc. Fined $100,000 After Worker Killed
Toronto, ON – New Water Plumbing Inc., of Thornhill, was fined $100,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was killed.
On December 23, 2009, two workers from New Water Plumbing Inc. were in the mechanical room of a Toronto condo tower. They had taken a large exhaust fan out of its housing. As the workers were moving the fan, a light fixture they had swung out of the way swung back and hit the fan. Part of the light fixture was damaged, allowing its electrical charge to contact the fan. The worker who was holding the fan at the time was fatally electrocuted.
New Water Plumbing Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the fan was lifted, carried or moved in a way that would not endanger a worker.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Mary Anne Ross Hendriks. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
For further information:
Media contact:
Matt Blajer
Ministry of Labour
416-326-7405
Court Information at a Glance
Location: Ontario Court of Justice
70 Centre St.
Toronto, ON
Judge: Justice of the Peace Mary Anne Ross Hendriks
Date of Sentencing: March 1, 2012
Defendant: New Water Plumbing Inc.
Matter: Occupational Health and Safety
Conviction: Ontario Regulation 851, Section 45
Crown Counsel: David McCaskill
www.labour.gov.on.ca
www.hrnc.ca
How does privacy in the workplace affect the employer and the employee?
Most of us are aware of PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection of Electronic Data Act). The Act put into place in 2000 to assist consumers to trust electronic transfer of their personal information; such as medical and health issues, credit card information, social insurance numbers and Ontario health information and medical care numbers. Fraud in the use of our medical system was rampant as information numbers were stolen and there was no identification necessary at that time.
Things have changed drastically since then. Has fraud stopped? Well, no... Usually as soon as a new rule comes into place some genius has already found a way to use it or abuse it.
However, when it comes to the employer, you have a duty to protect your employee's information and keep it confidential. What about those 3rd party phone calls that ask you if so and so works for you and is this how much they make? There is an easy way to take care of that situation. Make a policy that asks each employee to fill out a request form for a certain company to ask about their employment information and have it active for a certain time period. This way you do not have to comprise any information without your employee's consent and the employee can have their information verified quickly and painlessly.
Most financial institutions are happy to have a pay stub from the employer and if they know you - your word on how long you have been employed by that company.
It is very important that all employee information is kept confidential and not given to anyone without the employee's consent.
Something that even small businesses may want to consider - what are you doing with your computer/blackberry smart-phone backups. If you are wondering exactly what this refers to you could be looking at a lot of hassle down the road. Most individuals don't even know that they are able to backup their phones. And many businesses only have their client and employee information on one computer. If anything happens to that computer - well, let's just say copy the information on your computer to a flash drive, SD card, digital backup hard drive, etc. Protect yourself, your business, your employees and your clients.
Be smart - not burnt!
www.hrnc.ca
Things have changed drastically since then. Has fraud stopped? Well, no... Usually as soon as a new rule comes into place some genius has already found a way to use it or abuse it.
However, when it comes to the employer, you have a duty to protect your employee's information and keep it confidential. What about those 3rd party phone calls that ask you if so and so works for you and is this how much they make? There is an easy way to take care of that situation. Make a policy that asks each employee to fill out a request form for a certain company to ask about their employment information and have it active for a certain time period. This way you do not have to comprise any information without your employee's consent and the employee can have their information verified quickly and painlessly.
Most financial institutions are happy to have a pay stub from the employer and if they know you - your word on how long you have been employed by that company.
It is very important that all employee information is kept confidential and not given to anyone without the employee's consent.
Something that even small businesses may want to consider - what are you doing with your computer/blackberry smart-phone backups. If you are wondering exactly what this refers to you could be looking at a lot of hassle down the road. Most individuals don't even know that they are able to backup their phones. And many businesses only have their client and employee information on one computer. If anything happens to that computer - well, let's just say copy the information on your computer to a flash drive, SD card, digital backup hard drive, etc. Protect yourself, your business, your employees and your clients.
Be smart - not burnt!
www.hrnc.ca
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Employee Handbooks for Your Golf Course
·
When were they last updated? Is it time to dust them off and see if they are still relevant?
·
Are different handbooks made for
seasonal/full-time, clubhouse/grounds crew, management?
·
Do they include salaries/set hourly rates, calculation
of OT and vacation pay rates? What about the pay periods? Do new employees have easy access to the information they need most - When is payday?
·
Are OT calculations different for different departments? Have you checked with the Employment Standards Act before making your handbook so that you are paying your staff correctly?
·
Are holiday work policies included; are these
different for different departments?
·
Is there a set procedure for reporting
sickness/absences? Who does the employee call? Is the procedure different for the grounds maintenance crew than it is for the banquet room serving staff?
·
Are grievance or discipline procedures
described? Have employees been informed of their rights and their responsibilities?
The golf course is a beautiful place to spend leisure and casual business hours. Let's make sure that the experience that the members have is the very best customer service possible.
This starts at the top. The leader is just that - the leader. He leads by example and by having the correct policies in place to manage his greatest asset - his human capital.
The sun is shining today, soon the birds will sing and it will be the time to check out your golf swing. Which golf club will you choose?
Thursday, February 16, 2012
HRNC creates Employment contracts and Employee handbooks
Employment contracts ensure that
there is a “hard copy” of the terms of the employment relationship between
employee and employer and that both parties will abide by these terms. HRNC
will be able to draft an employee contract that is not only simplistic but
comprehensive and will outline the necessary information needed to hire an
employee. The contract will include the information for your company as well as
link the handbook into the contractual agreement so as to ensure that the terms
of employment also relate to policies outlined in the employee handbook. www.hrnc.ca
Friday, February 10, 2012
HRNC ASK US A QUESTION … REGULAR SERVICES PROVIDED
ASK US
A QUESTION … REGULAR SERVICES PROVIDED:
·
RECRUITMENT, INTERVIEWS AND SELECTION
·
ORIENTATION & RETENTION
·
PAYROLL
·
COMPENSATION
·
BENEFITS
·
PENSIONS
·
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
·
ACCOMMODATION/DISABILITIES
·
DISCIPLINE & TERMINATION
·
DIVERSITY TRAINING
·
HARASSMENT, BULLYING & VIOLENCE
·
EMPLOYEE & LABOUR RELATIONS
·
WSIB – FORM 7 ISSUANCE &
ADJUDICATION ASSISTANCE
·
RETURN TO WORK
·
WORKPLACE SAFETY
·
ERGONOMICS, MSD & WELLNESS
·
PANDEMIC PLANNING
·
PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS METRICS
·
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
·
COACHING & MENTORING
·
CROSS-TRAINING
·
SUCCESSION PLANNING
QUALITY
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Including Contract workers in workplace policies and training
HRNC assists employers with what is the best fit for their company. Workplace policies should address the contract worker as opposed to a full-time employee. Contract workers have the potential to be both an asset and
a liability for the company. They are
more likely to leave after training has developed them. However, if there is a slow down for the
company - they make it easier to deal with than terminations. If they are willing not to receive benefits
that reduces costs as well. I understand
that the information technology sector has difficulty keeping full-time
employees because workers prefer contracts only.www.hrnc.ca
A most interesting solution to human resources sharing has been met by Hannah McKinnon, of www.peoplepooling.ca. If companies sign up for membership to share some of their employees during slow times - they also have the opportunity to share another company's employees when they have an extra project. What a great way to keep our human resources maximized!
A most interesting solution to human resources sharing has been met by Hannah McKinnon, of www.peoplepooling.ca. If companies sign up for membership to share some of their employees during slow times - they also have the opportunity to share another company's employees when they have an extra project. What a great way to keep our human resources maximized!
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