Canadian Safety Reporter

CSR_July_2013V23:Canadian Employer.qxd 13-06-17 11:14 AM Page 1 PUBLISHED BY CANADIAN HR REPORTER www.safety-reporter.com THE WORKPLACE SAFETY SOURCE FOR OHS MANAGERS AND HR PROFESSIONALS Manitoba tears down workplace barriers Accessibility legislation covers employment, delivery of goods and services | BY AMANDA SILLIKER | "We're looking for anything that has to be done… with the identificaMANITOBA HAS INTRODUCED new tion and removal of barriers — and accessibility legislation to prevent that is very broad, and it is the intenand eliminate barriers for people tion of the legislation to be as broad as with disabilities. possible so it does take into account Nearly 200,000 people in the all the various organizations with the province identify as having a disabiliprovince," said John Wyndels, policy ty. And in 2011, 51 per cent of comanalyst for the province's disabilities plaints lodged with the Manitoba issues office in Winnipeg. Human Rights Commission related to The act states the intent to disability discrimination. develop a variety of accessibility Bill 26, the Accessibility for Manistandards in various areas, including: tobans Act, received first reading •employment April 24. It takes into consideration •delivery and receipt of goods and accessibility for services "It's not just for those people with long•information and term physical, communications with mobility issues, mental, intellec•design, operait's accessibility looking at tual and sensory tion and manageall kinds of different issues." ment of the built impairment. "We are using environment the term 'accessibility' in a very •transportation. broad and inclusive sense. It's not The standards would be developed just for those with mobility issues, it's through extensive consultation with accessibility looking at all kinds of all stakeholders, including employdifferent issues," said Yvonne Peters, ers. vice-chair of the Manitoba AccessibilThe employment standards would ity Advisory Council in Winnipeg. offer a number of tools for educating The act defines a barrier as "anyemployers on what to do and how to thing that interacts with that impairdo it, along with providing many ment in a way that may hinder the opportunities for collaboration, said person's full and effective participaPeters. tion in society on an equal basis." "There's a gap in understanding There are several types of barriers by the business community, by outlined in the act, including physiemployers how to proactively implecal, architectural, information or ment those rights. We have them on communication, attitudinal, technopaper, but what does it mean very logical or a barrier established or percontinued on page 6 petuated by a policy or practice. JULY 2013 INSIDE THIS ISSUE SUSTAINABLE WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAMS Educational spaces, norms, traditions lead to program success ........................3 NEWS BRIEFS Mental health crisis centre to open in Manitoba • Charges laid in 2012 Toronto Radiohead stage collapse • Labour Minister announces reappointment of governor to the CCOHS • Canada watchdog wants tougher safety rules for trains ......................................................4 LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP Nova Scotia pharmacists to give flu shots this fall • Nova Scotia introduces new workplace safety rules ..................5 ASK AN EXPERT Workplace safety goes beyond simply following the law ....................................7 Uninsured execs can sue if injured on the job Ontario law allows for execs to be exempt from WSIB coverage | BY ZACHARY PEDERSEN | WHEN SAM'S AUTO WRECKING removed its executives from its workers compensation coverage, the Hamiltonbased scrap metal company didn't realize it was putting itself in a position to be held liable for injuries that could be incurred by those executives. In Ontario, sole owners, partners, independent operators, and executive Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2013 continued on page 2

• Cover