Accidental releases of toxic and other hazardous substances can happen even at companies that work hard to prevent them. How a company responds to such an environmental emergency can greatly impact the effect of the release on the environment, as well as on the health and welfare of the people in neighbouring communities. A botched response can result in serious injuries and deaths, extensive property damage, catastrophic destruction of ecosystems and other harm from which the environment make take years to recover. Companies are more likely to respond effectively to an environmental emergency and reduce its impact if they prepare for emergencies before they happen. To ensure that they’re adequately prepared, the federal government issued the Environmental Emergency Regulations—commonly known as the E2 (for Environmental Emergency) Regulations.

Due Diligence Do’s & Don’ts: The Lessons from Recent OHS Prosecutions

To avoid having the flu wipe out your workforce, hold flu clinics in your workplace this fall—that is, have medical staff on hand who can administer flu shots to workers. The seasonal flu can hit companies hard by increasing worker absences and decreasing productivity. And …

When Do Long Absences Become Long Enough to Justify Termination?

In a tough economy like this one, employers may be tempted to cut staff and push remaining workers to work longer hours to take up the slack. But doing so may not only endanger workers’ health and safety but also be illegal. Employment standards laws across Canada set caps on how long employees can work before they’re entitled to overtime. And to ensure that workers get enough rest, they also limit the number of hours workers may work in a day and/or days in a week. Maximum work hour caps may be subject to exceptions. For example, many jurisdictions exempt certain industries from maximum hour restrictions, set special restrictions for certain jobs and set stricter maximum hour restrictions for young workers. Employers may also be able to apply for a “variance”—that is, official permission not to comply with these restrictions. Here’s an overview of the general maximum work hour caps in each jurisdiction.