Updates from Consult Carswell
Checking on people working alone
WorkSafeBC has recently revised health and safety guidelines for people who work alone in British Columbia. Employers are responsible for checking the well-being of people who work in isolation. This can be particularly challenging if employees work in remote locations with little or no access to telephone services. In those cases, employers may be required to use tracking devices, satellite phones or radio transmitters to check on employees.
New online tool for businesses
Ontario has launched an online tool called “Select Ontario” which provides information about region-specific wage data, demographic information on education levels, workforce skills and other business information. The program plots search results on a map of Ontario so users can see, for example, all communities with a specified unemployment rate or colleges that offer certain training programs. The tool is available at www.ontario.ca/siteselection.
Ont. accessibility act only in force for public sector
Public sector organizations in Ontario are required to comply with the new Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act as of Jan. 1, 2010. It is important to note, however, private sector employers are not required to comply with the provisions of the act, the regulations or the accessibility standards until Jan. 1, 2012. This is in spite of the fact several commentators seemed to suggest recently that private sector employers had to comply with part of this legislation by January of this year, or even earlier. Just to be sure, we contacted the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, which confirmed the 2012 compliance date for organizations in the private sector.
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