Registration & Virtual Orientation
Opening Remarks
Managing COVID-19 long haul compensation
An increasing number of claims have been filed by employees who contracted COVID-19 at work in Canada. As numbers continue to grow, how do safety leaders determine compensation for COVID-19 long haulers? How can companies protect their employees by preventing transmission at work?
- Legal advice about employee rights regarding the pandemic
- Workplace safety measures to prevent SARS-Cov-2 transmission
- Guidance on your organization’s planning and prevention policies
Rajbir Bhinder
Associate, Goulart Workplace Lawyers
Workers’ compensation and the policies around incident reporting
Employers are obligated to safeguard the health & safety of employees by ensuring that employee complaints, including refusals to work, accidents, and injuries are appropriately investigated. This session will explore the requirements of each jurisdiction and its impact on your workers’ compensation.
- Implementing regular inspections to prevent injuries
- How to report serious injuries to the Labour Program
- Understanding the internal complaint resolution process
Jennifer Miller
Partner, Bennett Jones
Managing digital bullying at work
Technology allows us to work more efficiently, but it also opens up all sorts of new opportunities to engage in misconduct. Among other things, new forms of harassment are more readily available than ever. No longer do we "only" need to concern ourselves with face to face encounters; we now see harassment via messaging (text, WhatsApp, Slack, etc.) and on social media. With the prevalence of video meetings during the pandemic, we have also seen a rise in bullying by video, often exacerbated by the lack of a sense of connection that would cause people to think twice before behaving in that way. Make no mistake about it: the employer’s duty to provide a safe work environment and prevent or address harassment extends to online conduct and off-duty conduct. Just because it doesn’t take place within the four walls of the business does not mean it won’t lead to liability.
Stuart Rudner
Employment Lawyer and Mediator, Rudner Law
Networking and lunch
OHS Law Q&A
Safety Management Systems: Compliance & Beyond
When an SMS is successfully implemented, the management system can enhance your organization's capability to identify hazards, control risks and prevent accidents. But what constitutes "successful" implementation? And is compliance with the law enough?
- Why striving for compliance will almost always fall short
- The problem with focussing solely on legal requirements
- Developing an SMS that will actually support a due diligence defence
Christopher Spasoff
OHS Lawyer, F2 Legal Counsel
Substance impairment in the workplace
An employee under the influence of substances may have difficulty completing their work duties safely and put themselves and colleagues in danger. This session will provide legal advice on how to best manage substance impairment in the workplace and how to prevent such occurrences moving forward.
- Building a hazard prevention program to stop impairment hazards
- How to include policies on substance use and impairment
- Implementing workplace alcohol and drug testing
Jeremy Schwartz
Partner, Stringer LLP
Networking and coffee break
Employee rights and the responsibilities of the employer in the workplace
As a safety professional, you must ensure that employees have the required information, training and guidance to perform their jobs safely under the code. This session will give updates on new developments and regulations to guide safety regulations in different provinces in Canada.
- Complying with the Workplace Safety and Health act
- Regulatory changes that affect our day to day
- Bill 168 obligations concerning two employees, union environment and criminal charges
Jeremy Warning
Partner, Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP