EVERY WORKER

WINTER 2013 

EVERY WORKER 

A WSN HEALTH AND SAFETY MAGAZINE VOLUME 2 NO. 2 

IT'S ONLY SIX FEET, 

THAT CAN'T HURT, 

CAN IT? 

IN THIS ISSUE: 

ROPE RESCUE 

CLOSER THAN 9-1-1 

PREVENTING FALLS 

FROM EQUIPMENT 

HEALTH & SAFETY CHAMPIONS 

APPOINTED TO 

PREVENTION COUNCIL 

BONUS: 

FALL PROTECTION 

AWARENESS POSTER 

CHOOSING & USING A LADDER 

HAZARD ALERTS

EVERY WORKER MAGAZINE Winter 2013 VOLUME 2 NO. 2 

CONTENTS 

FEATURES 

4 It's Only Six Feet 

That Can't Hurt, Can It? 

6 Rope Rescue 

Closer Than 9-1-1 

10 Preventing Falls From Equipment 

4 

12 Choosing and Using a Ladder 

50% Knowledge and 50% Taking Time To Work Safely 

14 Health and Safety Champions 

Appointed to Prevention Council 

PLUS... A FALL PROTECTION POSTER... AND... 

6 

8 How WSN Can Help 

9 Paper, Printing and Converting Sector Hazard Alert 

Hidden Hazards Can Trip Workers 

11 Mining Sector Hazard Alert 

Worker Tumbles from Top of LHD 

10 

13 Forestry Sector Hazard Alert 

Routine Maintenance Ends in Fall from Crane 

15 WSN Health and Safety Notes 

12 

For information and resources on "same level falls", see the Fall 2011 issue of 

Every Worker, available at WorkplaceSafetyNorth.ca. 

2 WorkplaceSafetyNorth.ca


A WSN HEALTH AND SAFETY MAGAZINE 

President’s message 

A fall can change everything 

Joel Swartz, the director of Metron Construction 

Corporation, a Toronto constructor, was fined 

$90,000 after pleading guilty to violations of 

the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) 

after four workers were killed and another 

worker was seriously injured. 

On December 24, 2009, six workers were on 

a suspended work platform, also known as a 

swing stage, at a construction project on Kipling 

Avenue in Toronto. The swing stage collapsed 

and fell 13 floors, killing four of the workers and 

seriously injuring another worker. The only worker properly attached 

to fall protection was held by the lifeline and pulled to safety. 

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the deceased workers 

had not been properly tied off to a lifeline, and had not been properly 

trained in the use of fall protection. The swing stage had been 

overloaded and it was later determined to be defective and hazardous. 

Swartz pleaded guilty under the Act to failing, as a director, to take all 

reasonable care to ensure that: 

• workers did not use a defective or hazardous swing stage; 

• the swing stage was not loaded in excess of the weight it was 

meant to bear; 

• workers were adequately trained in the use of fall protection by a 

competent person. 

Metron Construction Corporation was convicted of criminal negligence 

causing death and was fined $200,000 in relation to the same incident. 

In honour of the men who died and the one who was injured, please 

read the life-saving information on safely working at heights in this 

issue of Every Worker. On Page 4 Mike Mitchell shares the devastating 

consequences (28-inch incision, 97 staples, 9 six-inch screws) of 

falling only six feet off a ladder. On Page 10 we look at how not to fall 

off mobile equipment. And on Page 6 we look at what’s critical when 

prevention fails – a rescue plan. Do you have one? 

We hope you discover some new solutions to old problems in this issue 

of Every Worker, and we welcome your feedback. Drop me a line and 

let me know what you think. 

WORKPLACE SAFETY NORTH 

690 McKeown Avenue 

P.O. Box 2050, Stn. Main 

North Bay, ON P1B 9P1 

Toll free: 1-888-730-7821 (Ontario only) 

Fax: 705-472-5800 

WorkplaceSafetyNorth.ca 

The information in this publication is 

accurate to the best of our knowledge. 

WSN assumes no responsibility or 

liability for the accuracy or sufficiency 

of this information, nor does it endorse 

any product mentioned herein with the 

exception of those produced by WSN. 

If you would like to receive this 

magazine electronically email: 

First2Know@workplacesafetynorth.ca 

For another copy of Every Worker or for 

the French version, call us: 

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Candys Ballanger-Michaud 

President & CEO 

candysballangermichaud@workplacesafetynorth.ca 


3

4 WorkplaceSafetyNorth.ca 

BY MIKE MITCHELL

"Six hours, 25 minutes on the operating 

table, an incision over 28 inches long, nine 

six-inch screws, 97 staples, and generous 

amounts of pain later" 

It would seem only right to first 

apologize for not practising 

what I preach, I made the 

poorest of poor decisions. At 

the same time, let me explain 

how easy it was to “talk myself” 

into getting where I am now. 

The job was to develop a lockout for piping changes 

during a mill shutdown. About a dozen valves, some 

would be used every five years or so but a couple probably 

had never been used since they were installed. In order to 

help the lockout go smoothly, I decided to lubricate these 

valves before the shutdown. 

I chose the easiest one to start with, on a pipe about 

eight feet off the ground. Ladders were being furiously 

collected at this time for the shutdown and I was left with 

the bottom half of a 16-foot extension, a little beat up but 

still functional with decent feet. 

Because of cable trays and other piping, I could not get 

the ladder as vertical as needed – little better than 45 

degrees. It looked ugly and I knew it. Worse, there was 

no place to tie off the bottom. I examined the options, 

walking away, finding a better ladder, waiting for help or 

taking a chance. 

Being the patient type I am, I looked again at the height 

and chose the last one. I figured at best I’d be six feet off 

the ground and I could jump if anything happened. How 

could I get hurt? 

From here my day went downhill. 

I bounced on the third rung a couple of times. It did not 

move so I decided it was good to go. I’d just got eye level 

with the cable tray and was transferring tools when I 

heard/felt the ladder start to slip. Instinctively I grabbed 

the ladder tighter (fat lot of use that was!), next I was on 

the ground. 

That fast. 

The plan to jump, you ask? 

Not a hope. Not even time to think about it. 

So, to return to the question six feet can’t hurt, can it? 

Six hours, 25 minutes on the operating table, an incision 

over 28-inches long, nine six-inch screws, 97 staples, and 

generous amounts of pain later, I can assure you it can! 

The picture says a thousand words. 

Bottom line, I’m sworn off ladders for life and my thought 

process has changed dramatically. (Closing the door on an 

empty stable?) 

Faced with countless similar choices workers meet 

regularly, I hope you would contemplate what happened 

to me when making your decisions. This is one example 

you don’t want to follow. 

Oh, by the way, that valve I was so “gung-ho” to grease? I 

later heard it closed like a “piece of cake” without it. 

Go figure. 

Mike Mitchell, of Sault Ste. Marie, “(eventually) walked 

away with no ill effects” and is now retired. 


5

Rope Rescue 

Closer than 9-1-1 

A rescue procedure should 

be the final part of any fall 

protection plan for working at 

heights, and that procedure 

should be more than calling 9-1-1 

when, in a worst-case scenario, 

a worker is suspended at height 

and possibly injured. 

Shawn Kirwan, an Emergency Services Specialist with 

Ontario Mine Rescue, a part of Workplace Safety North, 

helps companies prepare for when they need to take 

action. Kirwan teaches a variety of emergency response 

courses, including a high-angle rope rescue course for 

companies that have workers at risk of falling from heights. 


Many of the companies that participate in the course are 

mining companies that have operations in locations distant 

or remote from emergency services. But not even all modern 

urban emergency services have the equipment or the 

expertise to do high-angle rope rescue, Kirwan says, and for 

those that do, they may not be at the nearest station. 

So calling 9-1-1 may not necessarily prompt a rescue, 

never mind a timely rescue. Trained volunteer workplace 

responders, however, can provide a timely response. 

A swift rescue is important because the suspended worker’s 

life may be hanging in the balance. The worker may have 

fallen because he or she was injured, or may have been injured 

in the fall, and in either case requires medical attention. 

Delayed response could contribute to the worker panicking. 

As well, while suspended, a worker is at risk of suffering 

suspension trauma or orthostatic shock, which occurs when 

the leg straps of a harness restrict blood circulation, causing 

blood to pool in the legs. Suspension trauma can occur 

in as little as five minutes, resulting in the worker losing 

consciousness and even dying. 

Kirwan’s classroom presentation and course materials cover 

the basics of rope rescue equipment and techniques, including 

rigging configurations, rescue knots and anchorages. But his 

two-day course places an emphasis on hands-on activities. 

Extensive practical exercises at elevation include the raising 

and lowering of personnel, the slinging of stretchers, and the 

pick-off maneuver for the rescue of a suspended casualty. 

Though Ontario Mine Rescue has access to the Alertec 

firefighting training facility in Azilda, near Sudbury to 

present the course, Kirwan prefers to offer the course 

to companies on-site. That way, he says, the volunteer 

responders are not only training in the environment and 

the work areas in which they might have to respond, but 

the practical exercises can be tailored to the emergency 

situations they may encounter. 

As well, site-specific issues, such as anchorage locations, can 

be examined and addressed in training. Familiarity with their 

own facility gives industrial responders an advantage over 

equipped and trained municipal services. 

The course is developed for use with the GripTech SP2 Rope 

Rescue System, a versatile mechanical advantage system 

specifically designed for fire departments and industrial 

rescue teams, in broad use across Ontario. 

The GripTech system allows rescuers to be vertically raised 

or lowered from one level to another or for raising victims 

to a surface area. It can easily be switched from controlled 

lowering to raising, and can be used for any angle – horizontal 

to vertical – rescue. 

Another attraction of the GripTech is that it and the 

half-inch safety rope it uses, is designed to a maximum 

two-person load of 600 lbs., Kirwan says, that permits 

a rescuer to be raised or lowered with a casualty, 

simplifying rescue operations. 

However, the emergency services specialist will tailor the 

training and practical exercises to whatever rescue rigging 

or other emergency equipment that a company uses. The 

intent of the course is to help companies be prepared to act, 

and provide the final part of their fall protection plan. 


7

How WSN can help: 

Workplace Safety North offers a range of 

products to help workplaces improve their fall 

prevention training programs including: 

TRAINING 

Focus on Falls 

People are falling — statistics are not. In Ontario, approximately 80 people 

fall at work every day. This half-day course provides participants with 

information and guidance and controlling slip, trip and fall hazards in the 

workplace. Participants also learn how to develop and implement a fall 

prevention program. 

Fall Protection Awareness Online 

This Internet-based training program provides a valuable one-hour overview of 

why fall protection systems are important, what the law requires regarding fall 

protection, and how fall hazards in the workplace can be eliminated or prevented. 

High Angle/Confined Space Rescue Training 

This course, which may be presented on-site if suitable facilities are available, 

offers a combination of knowledge and skills development in a competencybased 

approach to training with an emphasis on hands-on activities. Classroom 

presentations and course material covers legislation imposing rescue 

requirements, suspension trauma, and the basics of rope rescue equipment 

and techniques, including rigging configurations, rescue knots and anchorages. 

Extensive practical exercises at elevation include the raising and lowering of 

personnel, the slinging of stretchers, the pick-off maneuver for the rescue of a 

suspended casualty, and extrication from confined spaces. 

Doing Better, 

But More to be Done 

When it comes to preventing 

falls from heights we’re doing 

better, but the improvement is 

not keeping pace with the overall 

reduction in lost-time injuries. 

Statistics show that last year 

Workplace Safety North clients 

– in the mining, forestry, paper, 

printing and converting sectors 

– reported a decline of about 52 

per cent over the past 10 years in 

lost-time injuries due to falls from 

heights, but the overall lost-time 

injury rate declined by about 68 

per cent over the same period. 

Falls from heights include 

falls down stairs or steps, from 

ladders and scaffolding, from 

non-moving vehicles, from one 

level to a lower level, from roofs, 

loading docks and through holes 

and various openings. 

Across Ontario, falls from 

heights account for about a 

third of all fall-related injuries. 

The remaining two-thirds 

are classified as “same level 

falls”. (See the Fall 2011 Every 

Worker for more on "same level 

falls".) Combined falls account 

for roughly 20 per cent of all 

workplace injuries. 

Sprains, strains, soft tissue 

tears and bruises are the most 

common injuries suffered in falls 

from heights, accounting for 

more than 50 per cent. Almost 30 

per cent result in fractures which 

may occur in virtually any bone 

in the body. 

Falls don't only hurt workers, 

they can kill workers. Over the 

past 10 years among Workplace 

Safety North clients, an average 

of one worker a year dies as a 

result of injuries suffered in a fall 

from heights. 

For more information on these courses and products, or for information on other fall protection products, 

contact Workplace Safety North at 1-888-730-7821 or visit WorkplaceSafetyNorth.ca. 


HAZARD ALERT! 

PAPER, PRINTING AND CONVERTING SECTOR 

Hidden Hazards 

Can Trip Workers 

WHAT HAPPENED? 

Each year workers are seriously injured from slips, 

trips and falls. Employees working behind a paper 

machine on a production-related emergency issue 

are in a hurry to get the equipment operational again. 

They could be focusing so much of their effort on 

those production problems that they fail to see the 

hazards, a hose or the slippery material on the floor, 

and face injuries ranging from minor scratches all the 

way up to fractured arms and legs. 

WHY DID IT HAPPEN? 

Behind a paper machine are all kinds of slip and fall 

hazards – pipes jutting out, hoses all over the floor, 

stock and additives leaking onto the floor – that are 

normally out of sight and often out of mind. 

HOW COULD IT BE PREVENTED? 

Workers need to be trained, reminded and encouraged to identify and control 

hazards when beginning work assignments. 

Good housekeeping practices can make a difference. Workers should take the proper 

steps when doing regular clean up, ensure hoses are in their proper spot, and the 

floor is clear of stock and fluids. 

Better design and regular maintenance can ensure spills are contained and don’t 

spread too far into walkways. 

Regular equipment inspections and upkeep can limit how much time workers need 

to spend in the back of the paper machines. 

call us toll free: 1-888-730-7821 (Ontario) 


This alert is based on an actual incident. If you have an incident you’d like to share, please email customercare@ 

workplacesafetynorth.ca. The description of circumstances does not reflect legal commentary, nor is it meant to assign 

legal responsibility to any person or firm.

PREVENTING FALLS 

FROM EQUIPMENT 

If workers stopped jumping off mobile 

equipment, there would be a drop of about 

five per cent in the number of lost-time 

injuries due to falls from mobile equipment 

among Workplace Safety North clients. 

That’s not a bad start to reducing claims, but it’s not 

nearly enough to reduce or stop the pain and suffering 

workers experience when injured in falls from mobile 

equipment, or the costs to employers when valuable 

employees are off work for weeks or months at a time. 

Though fatal falls from mobile equipment are uncommon 

– none have been recorded among WSN clients in the last 

10 years – almost all workers experience soft tissue injuries 

such as cuts, bruises and abrasions, sprains, strains, and 

muscle tears, and a significant number, more than 25 per 

cent, suffer serious hard tissue injuries like dislocations 

and fractures to their feet, legs, back, neck and head. 

In each sector WSN serves – mining, forestry, paper, 

printing and converting – workers are injured in falls 

from equipment in roughly equal numbers. They are hurt 

falling off mobile equipment of every type, from small 

forklifts to huge off-road haul trucks. They fall mounting or 

dismounting, maintaining or servicing vehicles, checking 

or securing loads, and, yes, several times a year because 

they jump or don’t use the ladders or steps provided. 

Employers should develop and regularly review a 

comprehensive fall prevention plan for mobile equipment 

that goes beyond worker awareness of fall hazards and 

training in appropriate procedures. The plan could begin 

by examining fall protection measures other sectors use 

and considering whether those measures can be used or 

adapted to their own operations. 

Those may include fixed horizontal lifelines on mobile 

equipment or in service/maintenance facilities that permit 

the use of fall restraint or fall arrest; temporary or portable 

anchorage systems that can be attached to equipment or 

located next to equipment in operational areas; collapsible 

or temporary guardrails on equipment, as well as 

temporary ladders or access platforms or other devices. 

Since it’s not just operators who fall from mobile 

equipment while mounting or dismounting, the plan 

should review the specific fall hazards each piece of mobile 

equipment poses to different workers, such as mechanics 

or maintenance staff, who come into contact with the 

equipment, and determine what control measures – 

additional fall prevention features, modifications, training, 

and procedures – may be appropriate. 

For example, recently a worker was working in an 

underground shop on the top of an LHD (Load-Haul- 

Dump). While on his knees, the worker placed a hand 

on a rubber wheel fender which flexed under his weight 

causing him to fall (See the Mining Hazard Alert on Pg. 

11). Prior modifications to the equipment or different 

procedures may have prevented the incident. 

Of course, it’s better not to have to modify equipment, so 

prior to purchasing new mobile equipment it should be 

assessed for the risk of falls. Discussions can be held with the 

manufacturer or dealer on additional fall prevention features 

they may add, or that can be added during commissioning. 

Employer concerns about fall prevention features need to 

passed along to manufacturers and dealers, so that they 

can jump on the fall prevention bandwagon. 

When designing or purchasing equipment note: 

• Stairs are preferable to vertical steps 

• Continuous hand rails are preferable to individual 

grab handles 

• Mounting steps should be designed not to collect 

dirt (mud, snow or ice) 

• Anti-slip paint is preferable to tape 

• Access points (stairs and handles) should be 

painted a different colour so workers know where 

to step and what to grab 

• As much servicing as possible is done at ground level 

• Lighting for access points, especially for equipment 

used in low or poor light situations 


HAZARD ALERT! 

MINING SECTOR 

Worker Tumbles 

From Top of LHD 


A worker was working in an underground shop on the top of a nine-yard LHD (Load- 

Haul-Dump) picking up tools and materials. While on his knees, the worker placed 

a hand on a rubber wheel fender which flexed under his weight causing him to lose 

balance and fall to the concrete floor. The worker suffered minor injuries that could 

have been much more serious. 


The worker was not wearing a fall arrest/travel restraint device. 

There were no fall prevention guardrails on the top of the LHD. 

The rubber fender was not designed to bear the weight of a human, and the worker 

was not aware or alert to this fact. 


Mobile equipment manufacturers and mining companies should consider providing 

anchor points to allow for fall arrest/travel restraint. 

Collapsible or temporary fall prevention (guardrails) devices may be installed on the 

top of the LHD. 

All accessible surfaces should consist of a rigid material capable of supporting the 

weight of a worker. 

In a shop area, fall arrest anchorages may be installed for workers who access the 

top of mobile equipment. This may consist of an adjustable and/or removable, wellmarked 

lifeline across the shop. 






Choosing & Using a Ladder 

Proper ladder usage is 50% knowledge 

and 50% taking the time to work safely. 

With the variety of ladders in workplaces for different uses, 

decisions should be made on the appropriate use of fixed, 

portable, step, and extension ladders. Ladders should only be 

used as a means of access and not as work platforms. 

Only choose ladders with the UL seal from Underwriter's 

Laboratory. Ladders commonly come in three materials: 

aluminum, wood, or fiberglass. Aluminum is the most 

durable, but will conduct electricity, making it dangerous for 

use around electricity. Wood may rot. Fiberglass is the best 

combination of durability and non-conductivity, but is also the 

most expensive. 

The Canadian Standards Association has established three 

portable ladder grades, rated for weight capacity. The weight 

capacity includes the weight of the person and the equipment 

on the ladder: 

• Grade 1 – Construction and Industrial: heavy-duty with a 

load capacity not more than 250 pounds. 

• Grade 2 – Tradesman and Farm: medium-duty with a load 

capacity not more than 225 pounds. 

• Grade 3 – Household: light-duty with a load capacity of 

200 pounds. 

When using a Ladder 

• Make sure the ladder is suited for the type of job you plan to do. 

• Use extension ladders as a unit. Do not separate them. 

• Before using a ladder, especially a ladder that has been 

stored for a time, inspect it for cracks or broken joints. 

Discard defective ladders. Get help when moving heavy or 

long ladders. 

• Assess the work area and surroundings in advance, and 

check for overhead hazards. 

• If using outside, do not work in windy or inclement weather. 

• Wear appropriate shoes to avoid slipping, and ensure the 

soles are free of grease, oil or water. 

• Place the ladder on a stable, even, flat surface. Never place a 

ladder on top of another object. 

• Use the 1:4 ratio to ensure a stable working platform. Place 

the base of the ladder one foot away of whatever it leans 

against for every four feet of height to the point where the 

ladder contacts at the top. 

• Make sure that only one person at a time is on the ladder. 

• When using an A-frame stepladder, make sure the brace is 

locked in place. 

• If climbing onto another surface, make sure the ladder 

extends at least three feet past the platform you're climbing 

onto. 

• Secure tall ladders by lashing or fastening the ladder to 

prevent movement, especially if it will be a regular means of 

access. 

• Always face the ladder when climbing or descending. 

• Keep both feet on the ladder – never put one foot on a rung 

and the other foot on a different surface. 

• Do not climb higher than the second rung on stepladders or 

the third rung on straight or extension ladders. 

• Never stand on the top or the paint shelf of a stepladder. 

• Maintain three-point contact when climbing or working 

from a ladder. Wear a tool belt or pull equipment up with a 

rope after climbing the ladder. 

• Never over-reach to get at something off to the side. The 

climber’s hips should remain between the ladder’s two side 

rails. Always re-position the ladder. 

Other hazards associated with ladders include: 

• Being struck by materials falling from ladders or falling 

ladders 

• Tripping over ladders (erect or lying on floor) 

• Lifting heavy ladders 

• Striking persons or objects when carrying ladders 

• Contact with electrical equipment 


HAZARD ALERT! 

FORESTRY SECTOR 

Routine Maintenance 

Ends in Fall from Crane 


A worker was on top of a log-loading crane performing routine maintenance – adding 

hydraulic oil and checking the swing gear box level. While adding oil, a small amount 

spilled onto the engine cover which he inadvertently stepped in. 

Next he checked the swing gear box, which required him to sit on the engine cover, lean 

forward and pull out the dipstick. While rising to a standing position after completing 

the task, his foot slipped and he fell off the machine, a distance of about eight feet. 

The worker suffered minor injuries that required modified duties. 


There were no fall prevention guardrails or barriers on the top of the crane. 

Spilled oil created a slip hazard. 

The location of the swing gear box is difficult to reach. 


Guardrails and barriers can be erected around the top of the machine. 

The maintenance procedure to add hydraulic oil should be revised to reduce the risk 

of an oil spill, possibly through the use of a hand or electric pump. 

Equipment design should be reviewed to improve ease of access to the swing gear 

box dipstick. 

Supervisors should periodically review workplace fall hazards and fall protection 

measures with workers, and continue to monitor and enforce these requirements on 

a daily basis. 






Workplace Safety North (WSN) 

health and safety champions 

appointed to new Prevention Council 

Nancy Hutchison and Roy Slack, now former members 

of WSN’s Mining Advisory Committee, have joined the 

11-member council comprised of health and safety experts 

from a broad range of backgrounds. The role of the council 

is to support the efforts of the Chief Prevention Officer 

George Gritziotis, and to advise the Minister of Labour on 

health and safety issues. 

Hutchison, the secretary treasurer of the Ontario 

Federation of Labour, is one of four labour representatives 

on the council. She worked in the mining industry in Red 

Lake for 19 years, beginning underground at Campbell 

Red Lake Gold Mine and later the Dickenson Gold Mine, 

before joining the staff of United Steelworkers in 1995 and 

pursuing her interest in health and safety. 

Hutchison’s involvement in health and safety includes 

positions on the boards of the Workers Health and Safety 

Centre, the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario 

Workers, the Council of Governors for the Canadian 

Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, the Workplace 

Safety and Insurance Board’s Labour and Injured Worker 

Advisory Group, as well as with WSN and various health 

and safety positions with the United Steelworkers. 

Roy Slack, the president of Cementation Canada Inc., 

is one of four employer representatives on the council. 

He established Cementation in 2002, building the 

company into one of Canada’s largest mine contracting 

and engineering firms with a safety-based, people-first 

approach, including a declared target of “Zero Harm”. 

“My appointment to the Prevention Council is a great 

honour for me and a chance to represent both Northern 

Ontario and the mining industry and make a difference in 

the lives of Ontario workers and their families,” Slack said. 

In addition to his involvement with WSN, Slack as served 

as a director of the Ontario Mine Contractor’s Safety 

Association, and a member of the Conference Board of 

Canada’s CEO Health and Safety Leadership Charter. The 

North Bay-based company with more than 1,500 employees 

and international operations has won numerous accolades 

as one of Canada’s top employers. 

“I think the mining industry has a lot to offer but of course 

we still have work to do as well, so I am eager to contribute 

and also interested in learning from other industries,” Slack 

said. “From our first meeting it was clear that all the council 

members have a common goal, to make Ontario a safer 

place to work.” 

The council was created in response to recommendations 

of the Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health 

and Safety, which reviewed Ontario’s prevention system 

following the deaths of four workers when their scaffolding 

on a Toronto high-rise collapsed in December 2009. 


Free ‘Home’ Delivery Available 

If your print copy of Every Worker gets delayed in the 

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on to Workplace Safety North’s free ‘home’ delivery service. 

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Subscribe today! 

Upcoming Events 

January/February 2013 

Ministry of Labour Safety Blitz - Mining sector 

Ventilation hazards 

February/March 2013 

Ministry of Labour Safety Blitz - Forestry, paper, printing, 

converting sectors 

Slips, Trips and Falls (Ladder safety and fall protection hazards) 

April 10 & 11, 2013 

HSO Partners in Prevention Conference, Sault Ste. Marie 

April 16 – 18, 2013 

WSN's Mining Health & Safety Conference, Sudbury 

April 28, 2013 

National Day of Mourning 

Commemorating workers killed or injured in the workplace 

April 30 – May 1, 2013 

HSO Partners in Prevention Conference, Mississauga 

May 5 – 11, 2013 

NAOSH (North American Occupational Health & Safety) Week 

Check out WSN Events page on our website – 

WorkplaceSafetyNorth.ca – for webinars, workshops and 

other special safety-focused events for the mining, forestry, 

paper, printing and converting sectors. 

WSN and Ontario Mine Rescue 

prep for international conference 

Workplace Safety North, Ontario Mine Rescue and 

its mine rescue counterparts from across Canada will 

host the sixth biennial conference of the International 

Mines Rescue Body in Niagara Falls, Oct. 5 to 10, 2013. 

Planning for the conference is well underway with the 

theme of "Sharing Vision, Sharing Knowledge." 

Previous IMRB conferences around the world 

have discussed breathing apparatus, emergency 

preparedness, heat stress, training methods, legislation 

affecting mine rescue, specific mine emergencies, as 

well as differing national approaches to mine rescue, 

and more. 

More than 40 papers were presented at the 2011 

conference in Beijing, attended by approximately 600 

delegates from 22 nations, including the United States, 

South Africa, Australia, Germany and India. 

A call for papers has been issued and registration is 

now open. Further information on IMRB 2013 can be 

found on the event's website – www.imrb2013.ca. 

The IMRB was created in 2001 to promote mine rescue 

at an international level and to improve mine rescue 

knowledge and practices by supporting innovation and 

global cooperation. 


15

Circle These Dates on Your Calendar 

Workplace Safety North's acclaimed Mining Health and Safety Conference will 

be held April 16-18, 2013, in Sudbury. 

The annual conference for employers, managers, Joint Health & Safety Committee 

members, health and safety personnel and anyone interested in safety will feature 

a range of speakers, knowledgeable on mining and health and safety topics, 

networking opportunities, as well as a trade show and other attractions. 

Plan to join us at our 2013 Mining Health and Safety conference, and watch our 

website for additional details as they become available. 

For more information contact Megan Waqué at (705) 474-7233 ext. 250 or 

meganwaque@workplacesafetynorth.ca 


toll free: 1-888-730-7821 (Ontario)

EVERY WORKER

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