Practice Area: Occupational Health

Ontario to Move Forward with Recommendations on Preventing Violence in the Healthcare Sector

· 2 min read

The Ontario government has announced that it will be moving forward with certain recommendations from the Workplace Violence Prevention Care Report (Report), released on May 15, 2017, to enhance safety in hospitals and to reduce incidents of workplace violence across the healthcare sector. Among other things, the government will be consulting with stakeholders on the following…

Court Renders Helpful Decision on Random Drug and Alcohol Testing

· 4 min read

In a helpful decision for employers, Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 113 v Toronto Transit Commission, the Ontario Superior Court recently denied an application by the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 113 and others (Applicants) for an interlocutory injunction to restrain the implementation of the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) random drug and alcohol testing, pending completion of…

Federal Government Introduces Bill to Legalize Cannabis

· 2 min read

On April 13, 2017, the federal government introduced Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act. If passed, Bill C-45 will, among other things: permit persons age 18 and over to possess up to 30 grams of dried or fresh cannabis permit the government to authorize the possession, production, distribution, sale, importation and exportation of cannabis where authorized…

Ontario Proposes Creation of Employer “Health and Safety Management Systems” under OHSA

· 2 min read

On November 16, 2016, the Ontario government introduced Bill 70, Building Ontario Up for Everyone Act (Budget Measures), 2016, omnibus legislation that would, among other things, amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to provide for the establishment of employer “health and safety management systems.” Specifically, the amendments would: define “health and safety management…