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slspc
Mar 23, 2022

UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS



 

In Ontario, The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) prohibits employers from penalizing workers in reprisal for obeying the law or exercising their rights.

Under section 50 of the OHSA, an employer cannot

  • dismiss (or threaten to dismiss) a worker

  • discipline or suspend a worker (or threaten to do so)

  • impose (or threaten to impose) any penalty upon a worker, or

  • intimidate or coerce a worker…

because a worker has

  • followed the OHSA and regulations

  • exercised rights under the OHSA, including the right to refuse unsafe work

  • asked the employer to follow the OHSA and regulations.

A worker also cannot be penalized for

  • providing information to a Ministry of Labour inspector

  • following a Ministry of Labour inspector’s order, or

  • testifying at a hearing about OHSA enforcement

    • in court

    • before the Ontario Labour Relations Board

    • before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO)

    • at a coroner’s inquest

    • at a grievance arbitration, and

    • in certain other hearings.

Workers

A worker who believes that the employer has reprised against him or her may file a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB). A unionized worker may choose to ask the union to file a grievance under the collective agreement or to seek its help in filing a complaint directly on the worker’s behalf with the OLRB. Alternatively, a worker claiming to have been fired in an OHSA-related reprisal may consent to having a Ministry of Labour inspector refer the reprisal allegation to the OLRB, if

  • the allegation has not already been dealt with by arbitration, and

  • the worker has not filed a complaint to the OLRB.

The inspector will also provide copies of the referral to the employer, trade union (if any) and any other organizations affected by the alleged reprisal. However, the Ministry of Labour will not act as the worker’s representative.


For more information, visit https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/. SLSPC has successfully represented clients targeted for reprisals due to unsafe working conditions resulting in serious injury, illness, and impairment. Call 416-644-3999 or sspadafora@slspc.ca for a free and confidential consultation.



slspc
Feb 7, 2022

Drivers are up to 4X more likely to get in an accident when talking on a phone while driving.


Distracted driving is something you can see everyday on the road. Texting, using apps, checking social media, and answering calls without Bluetooth. CAA statistics in 2020 revealed that 47% of Canadians admit that they have typed out or used the voice-memo feature to send a message while driving. This is in addition to those who eat, drink, or groom themselves while driving.


It’s against the law to use hand-held communication (e.g. your phone) and electronic entertainment devices (e.g. gaming unit, e-reader) while driving. In fact, simply holding a phone or other device while driving is against the law.


You can use:

- a hands-free device (e.g. Bluetooth) but only to turn it on and off

- a mounted device (e.g. phone, GPS) as long as it is secure


Many of our clients have suffered with the results of distracted driving. Careless driving is the most frequent charge we see on Motor Vehicle Accident Reports.

We are here to assist our clients with recovery from injuries sustained as a result of distracted driving. Call 416-644-3999 or sspadafora@slspc.ca for a free consultation.


slspc
Jan 9, 2022

Managing Chronic Pain

Updated: Mar 23, 2022

Managing chronic pain can be daunting. Pain is a multifactorial experience, which is why including the role of the brain and conditioning of the nervous system is important to engage healing. In the past, treatment plans tended to focus on treating symptoms with medication, injections, and physiotherapy leaving “missing pieces”.

Today there are a wide range of science-backed techniques to reduce symptoms that compliment traditional treatment plans including apps to practice cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, somatic tracking, graded motor imagery, guided meditations, and pain reduction visualizations.


To learn more about chronic pain management, consider reviewing:



SLSPC is here to assist you with managing your injuries and rehabilitation. Call 416-644-3999 or info@slspc.ca for a free and confidential consultation.


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