HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2014-01-22, Page 3Wednesday, January 22, 2014 • Huron Expositor 3
Ministry of Labour calling for action on workplace falls
Eighty workers injured
each due to falls in
workplaces
The Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL)
has announced a new safety training
standard for those who work at heights.
According to a press release from the
provincial government, it was designed
to establish consistent, high-quality
safety training for workers across the
province.
In the press release, ministry officials
said 80 workers are injured each day,
and 20 die each year due to falls in
Ontario workplaces, according to the
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
(WSIB).
"A tragic workplace incident in
Toronto on Christmas Eve 2009, when a
high-rise scaffold collapsed and four
workers lost their lives and another was
seriously injured, prompted the MOL to
appoint an expert advisory panel to
review Ontario's occupational health
and safety system," the press release
stated.
In September 2013, Ontario's chief
prevention officer George Gritziotis
issued a call to action on falls in the
workplace, stating, "I am extremely dis-
tressed by the number of workplace
fatalities related to falls that have
occurred recently ... these needless,
intolerable tragedies must be stopped!"
Initially voluntary, the ministry's new
'Working -at -Heights Training Standard'
applies to workplaces in the construc-
tion sector as well as to construction
activity in other workplaces.
Affected companies will have about
six months to put the training in place as
the standard is expected to become
mandatory by summer 2014. Developed
with input from across various sectors
including business, organized labour,
health and safety organizations, and
other experts, the standard will later be
expanded to include all industry
sectors.
This month, to help get the message
of fall prevention out, Workplace Safety
North, the occupational health and
safety association for Ontario mining,
forestry, and paper, printing and con-
verting sectors, launched 'Falls: Erase
the Hazard' - the first animated video in
a series of four. The health and safety
videos offer tips for workers and employ-
ers regarding the province's top four
workplace hazards: falls; motor vehicle
incidents; musculoskeletal disorders;
and machine -related injuries, the press
release stated.
"They're intended to inspire discus-
sion and action in the workplace to help
prevent injuries and to ultimately reduce
the human and financial toll workplace
Web tips feature catching on at Crime Stoppers
Paul Cluff
WI Agency
Since Crime Stoppers started in
Huron County, police have cleared
925 cases, laid more than 450 charges,
taken 540 weapons off the street and
seized $6.7 million worth of drugs.
Those figures speak volumes of the
work that the public can contribute to
without ever having to speak to police,
provide evidence, or testify in court.
Simply picking up the phone, or,
nowadays, following a link on a
website, can help police with difficult
criminal investigations.
"The biggest challenge is educating
the public," says Ron Plasschaert,
chair of the 11 -member Huron County
Crime Stoppers board of directors.
Misconceptions remain about how
the program operates. Crime Stoppers
is not a police operation; it is a
registered charity run by volunteers,
with an OPP officer, Al Penn,
seconded as the organization's police
coordinator.
There is no call display and no call
answer. Even the web tip link on the
website is filtered by a company in the
WEST COAST
,_z; KITCHENS
And Much More
• Kitchens • CustomVanities
• Entertainment Units • Home Offices
PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATIONS
CUSTOM DESIGNS
Linda Reaume & COUNTERTOPS
Designer
Visit Our Showroom
50 West St. Goderich
519-440-0352
www.westcoastkitchens.net
Email: westcoastkit@huronteLon.ca
U.S., so IP addresses don't show up in
correspondence. Penn said there
could be web dialogue back and forth
between Crime Stoppers and a tipster.
"Our end is also filtered out."
The web tip option allows Crime
Stoppers to inform a tipster if they will
receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
A member of the public who called in
a tip would have to call back to find
out, he noted.
Most of the calls are for drug
matters, because "people don't want
it in their neighbourhood," Penn said.
Other criminal offences include
domestic violence, impaired driving,
cruelty to animals and driving without
a license.
Not all tips lead to arrest or charge
but could lead to a reward. Penn
noted a call about a schoolyard fight.
A police officer in a vehicle arrived
and turned on his lights and it was
enough to disperse the crowd and
stop the altercation.
The caller was eligible for a reward.
"If it looks like someone is doing
something wrong, you can call us and
we can talk about it," Penn said.
Callers are also motivated by the
financial reward, which is fine,
because "that's what we're here for,"
said Plasschaert.
Crime Stoppers holds a number of
fundraising events during the year,
including, barbecues, the Jail and Bail
and a golf tournament, this year on
July 12 at Bluewater Golf Club in
Bayfield. They pay for expenses
including a vehicle, an office (in
Seaforth) and payouts for tips.
Crime Stoppers are also looking for
new board members. There is an
application on the website: www.
hc-cs.ca. Volunteers would attend
meetings once per month and help
with fundraising events. Penn also
does community presentations and
can be reached at the office at 519-
527-1353. "The bottom line is we are
making our community a better place
to live," said Penn.
Mayor Bill Dowson
January 2, 2014 - On behalf of my
wife Joyce, myself and our family, I
wish everyone in the municipality of
Bluewater a happy, prosperous and
safe 2014. It's been a challenging year
with all that's been happening across
the municipality, with changes to the
libraries, community centres and our
road building program. We are thank-
ful we had the finances in place to make
these things happen without infringing
on the property tax base. As we work through the 2014 budget
we are doing our best as a council to be fiscally responsible with
the taxpayers dollars.
Mayor Bill Dowson
injuries take," says Megan
Waque, WSN stakeholder
communications specialist.
Companies are encouraged
to visit workplacesafetynorth.
ca/falls to view and share the
videos.
The training standard for
working at heights also builds
on the recent introduction of
mandatory health and safety
awareness training for
Ontario workers and supervi-
sors, which will be enforced
by the ministry on July 1,
2014.
"We encourage our clients
to complete the mandatory
health and safety awareness
courses before the compli-
ance date ofJuly 1, 20147 says
Candys Ballanger-Michaud,
WSN president and CEO said
in the press release. "We're
here to help businesses that
need it, and offer health and
safety awareness programs
that satisfy the requirements
outlined in the new
regulation.
"A safe workplace is the
building block of strong com-
munities and a strong econ-
omy," she adds. "For more
than 90 years, as the health
and safety partner for the
Ontario mining, forestry, and
paper, printing and convert-
ing sectors, the first priority at
WSN is to make workplaces
safer'
POLICE BRIEF
Propane tanks stolen
HURON EAST - Huron County Ontario OPP officers are
investigating the theft of five propane tanks, stolen from the Old
86 Farmer's Market on Amberley Road, west of Molesworth.
Police believe the tanks were taken ometime between Dec.
23, 2013 and Jan. 11, 2014 when those responsible entered
the property and cut the padlock off a storage container where
the tanks were held. The total value of the stolen items is
$350, which are described as white, Superior brand, 20 lb.
tanks, which are full of propane. Police are asking anyone with
information regarding the stolen tanks immediately contact
Huron OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or 519-524-8314. Those
wishing to remain annonymous can call Crime Stoppers at
1 -800 -222 -TIPS (8477), where they may be eligible to receive a
cash reward of up to $2,000.
Y,C1
Restaurant
TO THE COMMUNITY
OF SEAFORTH
From all of us at DD's Restaurant
we would like to express our thanks for
all those who came out to the restaurant
to sample our food the week prior to opening.
We appreciate your patience an input
allowing us to train our staff. We now
have worked out all the kinks with
the electronics and proper staffing.
We have an amazing team and we are
now ready to serve. The community
has embraced us like family so we
have achieved our ultmate goal.
Thanks from DD's Staff
and Management