May 8, 2013 - St. Marys Cement Inc. has been fined $75,000 and a supervisor fined $3000 for violations of Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured.

April 30, 2013 - Safety equipment manufacturer MSA says wearers of V-Gard hard hats now have the option of wearing one in which the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is sourced entirely from sugarcane. Developed and manufactured by MSA in Brazil, the new MSA V-Gard GRN hard hat promises the same level of head protection, and is expected to attract customers who desire yet another way “to demonstrate their commitment to preserving the planet”. (Photo shows MSN V-Gard Protective Cap)

April 17, 2013 - Acklands-Grainger—a distributor of industrial, safety and fastener products—announced its largest-ever product expansion, adding 200,000 new products to its online offering over the next several months.

When it comes to safety, Canadians trust expert industry approval. According to a recent survey commissioned by the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB), 97 per cent of Canadians agree that construction work, including welding contractors and steel fabricators, should be overseen by a national organization and held to a common Canadian standard.

CWB is the regulator of welding professionals and companies throughout Canada, and works to ensure that each project involving welding is completed and overseen by certified and accredited professionals.

Craig Martin, vice-president of public safety at CWB, said, “Since founding CWB in 1947, Canadians have taken a position of leadership in the global welding industry and developed one of the first welding certification standards to ensure that the welding process provided consistent and high quality results. We are a standard Canadians should be proud of.”

But there is a contradiction amongst survey recipients. When asked to rank importance of features when it comes to keeping Canadian buildings, bridges and other key infrastructure like pipelines safe, design comes out on top (39 per cent ranking it as important) while certified tradespeople comes out near the bottom (13 per cent ranking this as important). Quality of materials comes in second (26 per cent) and regular inspection third (21 per cent).

“Most people assume that if a bridge or building is designed to meet the standards it is being built to those standards,” Martin continues. “Unfortunately that is not always the case. Industry needs to continue to enforce those standards from design through to building and maintenance.”

When considering the safety of a product, nearly all Canadians feel that expert industry approval is important, and three in four (76 per cent) view it as very important. Almost half of us consider products made in Canada to be safer than those made elsewhere (44 per cent).

“Welding is all around us, so being able to count on an industry standard should be important to all Canadians,” said Martin.

CWB’s certification programs have expanded beyond the welding of steel to offer programs for aluminum welding, resistance welding, welding electrodes and welding inspectors, among others. In all cases, the programs are based on standards produced by the Canadian Standards Association.
www.eng.CWBGroup.org

As companies look to maximize existing space within their facilities, many are turning to mezzanines to create additional storage space or work areas. In response to this trend, Rite-Hite Barrier Systems has introduced the GateKeeper Mezzanine Safety Gate, a reciprocating barrier that creates a controlled access area in which workers can safely load and unload from the edge of a mezzanine, pick module or other elevated work platform.

While OSHA requires industrial mezzanines to have handrails and gates around all edges, these gates need to be opened during a loading/unloading process, creating the potential for a serious or even fatal injury in the event of an accidental fall. In fact, OSHA reports that falls to a lower level are the second leading cause of workplace fatalities and injuries from those falls result in a median of 15 days away from work.

“Although mezzanines are an effective way to increase space, they also present a potentially hazardous situation when it comes to mezzanine loading and unloading,” says Rite-Hite’s Andy Olson. “The GateKeeper directly addresses this situation, making that process much safer.”

The GateKeeper is designed with a reciprocating barrier which is interconnected and can’t be open at the same time. It is installed on the edge of a mezzanine, pick module or elevated platform where pallet loads from the floor level are regularly deposited for pick-up. When the outer gate opens to allow pallets to enter the mezzanine level, the inner gate automatically closes, keeping workers out. After the pallet is received, the mezzanine-level workers open the inner gate to remove the material from the work zone. During this time, the outer gate is securely in position on the edge of the mezzanine.  After loading/unloading is complete, the inner gate is closed to allow the forklift to remove any items in the work zone.

The GateKeeper’s exclusive link bar design ensures that both gates always work in unison, without relying on the chains or cables that are commonly used on other mezzanine gates. The GateKeeper also features a Saf-T-Latch, which prevents a worker from raising the outer gate while inside the work zone.  In addition, the unit’s unique “toeboard” design prevents material from accidentally being pushed off of the mezzanine.

An optional automated design operates using a simple open/close/stop button and incorporates photo eyes and current sensing for reversing to further enhance safety. The GateKeeper is made of heavy duty steel and aluminum and is available in multiple sizes. All units feature a guarded three-inch track and nylon rollers with sealed precision bearings, for smooth activation, and a powder-coated frame.
www.ritehite.com

Master Lock Canada Inc. has completed an agreement to acquire N4 Systems Inc., the company behind Toronto-based Field ID, a provider of safety management software. Field ID will become a new, complementary offering in Master Lock’s Life Safety business.
 
Field ID’s software-as-a-service product offering gives customers around the world the ability to manage safety more efficiently and effectively with the use of mobile apps and the web. The Field ID solution will complement existing solutions offered by Master Lock’s Life Safety business, such as lockout/tagout locks and accessories for industrial safety.
 
"Field ID’s comprehensive system for digitizing safety management tasks and information is not only an excellent complement to Master Lock's current Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) offering, but also provides an organization broader safety audit and compliance tools,"  said Franco Daino, VP/GM, Life Safety at Master Lock Company.  “With the acquisition of Field ID, we are well-positioned to execute against our vision of a successful Life Safety program and look forward to offering this solution to institutions and industrial companies around the world.”
 
Field ID will continue to operate independently from its Toronto headquarters but will leverage Master Lock’s sales and marketing capabilities.
 
“Modern safety management includes using the latest technology,” said Somen Mondal, vice-president of sales & marketing of Field ID. “With the popularity of mobile devices and acceptance of software-as-a-service, we’ve seen tremendous growth here at Field ID. Together with Master Lock, we expect exponential growth in the adoption of Field ID among safety professionals around the world. We are truly looking forward to working with them and providing our customers with an even better experience than they’ve come to know.”
 
Field ID is a provider of safety compliance and inspection management software for the web and mobile devices operating on Google Android, Apple iOS and Windows Mobile. The company's easy-to-use, cloud-based inspection software has revolutionized the way organizations manage safety compliance and create safer workplaces. Field ID combines web-based and mobile technologies with the power of electronic identification (RFID and barcodes) to improve the efficiency, reliability and reporting of workplace safety management. Manufacturers, distributors, third party inspectors and end users worldwide use Field ID to inspect facilities and equipment, conduct job site audits, manage corrective and preventive actions, improve training/certifications management, and track assets such as cranes, slings and harnesses. For more information, please visit
www.fieldid.com
www.masterlock.com

At this year's Toronto Maintrain, Dr. Andrew Jardine with the University of Toronto talked about evidence-based asset management. He explains why it's important to inspect protective devices in plants regularly, and he brings in examples like life buoys and defibrillators to drive the point home.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour has kicked off a fall safety blitz in manufacturing workplaces across the province.

Throughout October and November, Ministry of Labour industrial inspectors will check on machine guarding and lockout hazards. They will also check on hazards involving musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), chemical and noise exposure and workplace violence and harassment.

According to Ministry officials, hazards at manufacturing sector workplaces can result in injuries, illness or even death. The inspectors will check that:

• Exposed moving parts and in-running nip hazards on machines and equipment are properly guarded.
• Lockout procedures are followed to prevent machines from starting when repairs or maintenance are carried out.
• Equipment is maintained in good condition.
• Workers are trained and supervised on lockout procedures.
• Workers are protected from other hazards.

The blitz is part of the McGuinty government’s Safe at Work Ontario enforcement strategy to increase compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations.

In 2010, hazards involving inadequate machine guarding and lockout procedures were among the top four causes of injuries, according to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board data. These types of injuries also tended to be the most severe.

Since 2008, ministry inspectors have conducted more than 345,000 field visits, 46 inspection blitzes and issued more than 560,000 compliance orders in Ontario workplaces.

Ontario will help ensure fairness in the workplace by enhancing the enforcement of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), including the hiring of additional officers and staff.

The enhanced enforcement will include more proactive inspections. These inspections encourage workplace parties to comply with the ESA before serious violations arise and complaints are filed. Complaints can be costly and time-consuming for businesses. An initial $3 million, two-year investment will allow for 18 additional Employment Standards Officers and staff.

The inspections are also aimed at educating employers and employees about their rights and responsibilities under the ESA, which sets minimum standards for entitlements such as wages, hours of work and public holidays.

The ministry is committed to protecting vulnerable workers, meeting the needs of a changing workforce and helping employers understand their responsibilities. Protecting workers is part of the McGuinty government’s continued commitment to ensuring a strong economy and that all Ontarians are treated fairly.

Since 2004, the ministry’s Employment Standards Program has recovered more than $90 million in wages and other monies owed to employees through inspections, claims and collections.
www.ontario.ca/labour

Thirteen Canadian employers – including three manufacturing companies – have been honoured as Canada’s Safest Employers in 2012.

The awards, sponsored by Canadian Occupational Safety magazine, were handed out to those employers for outstanding achievements in promoting health and safety in the workplace. The awards covered five different categories, including building and construction, manufacturing, mining and natural resources, services and transportation and utilities.

In the manufacturing category, Concord, Ont.-based Fileco took top honours for its health and safety initiatives that include an extensive machine guarding program, comprehensive health and safety training and a culture that supports those initiatives.

Medicine Hat, Alta., manufacturer Canadian Fertilizers Ltd. and Mississauga, Ont.-based Kennametal limited were handed silver awards for their work promoting health and safety in the workplace.

The awards were handed out at a gala event on Thursday evening at Toronto’s Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex.