News briefs: OHS news from across Canada and around the world

Government launches national young worker safety video contest

OTTAWA — Canada's labour ministers are launching the first national video contest for young people on workplace safety and fairness.

The It’s Your Job contest invites contestants to submit a video of up to two minutes on any topic related to awareness about workplace health and safety, or employment standards. The contest opened for submissions on Feb. 1 and closes on April 5.

With prizes of up to $3,000, the contest challenges secondary school students and those between the ages of 18 and 24 to speak out and raise awareness about workplace rights and responsibilities.

The 18-24 category is open to Canadians in all provinces and territories, and will be held nationally. Secondary school students will compete within their own province or territory.

Winning videos from the secondary school contest will then compete against others across Canada. A panel of celebrity judges will select the top winners, Human Resources and Skills Development said.

The top videos from all provinces and territories will be viewed by Canadians online in May, when everyone will have an opportunity to vote for their favourite.

Last September, the federal, provincial and territorial ministers of labour agreed to directly engage youth about their workplace safety and rights and jointly launched a national social media video contest

More information is available at http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/health_safety/contest/index.shtml.

OPP reviews occupational stress injuries

TORONTO — The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has launched an internal review of its occupational health and safety practices.

In a report sent to Ontario ombudsman André Marin, the OPP outlined details of an in-depth review process into the health and safety of its officers

The OPP is following up on a 2012 audit by Marin. In his report, In the Line of Duty, Marin determined the OPP, along with the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, need to take action to handle the “staggering” number of occupational stress injuries officers are suffering.

The OPP is “already engaged in awareness-raising activities and gathering the resources necessary to give each recommendation made in the Ombudsman's report full and careful consideration,” the police force said.

Company fined $1.5 million for safety violation

FORT MCMURRAY, ALTA. — An engineering company operating near Fort McMurray, Alta., has been hit with a penalty of $1.5 million for a workplace safety violation.

Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Company Canada had pleaded guilty to three charges of failing to ensure the health and safety of workers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act after an accident in 2007 that killed two temporary foreign workers from China, along with injuring others.

It was given the maximum $500,000 fine for each charge. A judge ruled the company will pay a fine of $200,000 while the remaining $1.3 million will go to a new program teaching temporary foreign workers about their rights when it comes to safety on the job.

Investigation launched after deadly landslide at Quebec quarry

MONTREAL — Police in Quebec have launched an investigation into a landslide that killed two workers at a quarry near Montreal.

Officers will attempt to figure out what happened now that the recovery effort is over. The company operating the quarry will also be investigated, a police spokesman said.

Quebec's health and safety board will be assisting with the case.

For days, crews searched for the two missing workers who went missing when their vehicles were swept into a gravel pit dozens of metres deep last month. The vehicles were trapped in the loose gravel at the bottom of the crater, located in L'Epiphanie, Que.

For a brief time, rescue efforts were put on hold due to poor weather and concerns there could be another landslide while rescuers were in the area.