National Day of Mourning remembers workers killed on the job In 2006, eight workers lost their lives in New Brunswick. That’s eight families whose lives will forever be changed, marred by tragedy. It’s all the more tragic when you know these deaths could have been prevented – because injuries are no accident!
And while eight workers were killed on the job last year, many more were injured or became ill. The WHSCC asks all New Brunswickers to mark the National Day of Mourning by observing a moment of silence, wearing a black ribbon or lapel pin, attending remembrance ceremonies, or lowering flags to half-mast.
The National Day of Mourning is typically observed April 28. This year, most workplaces will commemorate the day on Friday, April 27. The date of April 28 was chosen as the day of remembrance because it was the day the third reading took place for the first comprehensive Workers’ Compensation Act (Ontario 1914) in Canada. The first Day of Mourning was observed 23 years ago by the Canadian Labour Congress; it is now observed in more than 100 countries worldwide.
In partnership with the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, the WHSCC has produced a Day of Mourning Poster, which has been distributed to workplaces across the province.
Please keep safety in mind not only as you mark this very important day, but every day. By doing so, you honour the memory of those workers killed and injured on the job.
For more information on Day of Mourning activities, visit our website at www.whscc.nb.ca.
In the Courts Following a workplace fatality, Rideau Construction was charged under the OHS Act with failing to take every reasonable precaution to ensure the health and safety of any person having access to the project site. Kirk Gould, a 27-year-old carpenter from Saint John, died June 19 when a wall at the worksite at 1040 Champlain Street in Dieppe collapsed and fell on top of him. Rideau Construction pleaded guilty and was fined $20,000.
NB Power (Distribution Division) was charged under section 292(1) of the OHS Act for failing to establish and follow a code of practice before beginning work on an electrical distribution line. The company recently changed their plea to guilty, and was fined $10,000, plus a $2,000 victim surcharge.
The charges were a result of a serious accident in April 2005, which left an employee with burns to approximately 70% of his body.
Ask us! Q: We are a company in Ontario that has employees (not living in New Brunswick) working in your province. These employees are covered under workers’ compensation in the province they reside in.
My question is: If the assessable earnings of these individuals while they are working in New Brunswick will be less than $3,000 a year, do we need to register for workers’ compensation coverage with the WHSCC in New Brunswick?
John Smith* Smith Company Ltd.*
Guelph, Ontario
*Names have been changed for privacy purposes.
A: Regardless of residency, registration with the WHSCC is mandatory for:
- Employers with three or more workers usually employed at the same time.
- Employers in the fishing industry with 25 or more workers usually employed at the same time.
The WHSCC interprets the term 'usually employed' as meaning a predictable pattern of employment, including seasonal or repeated hiring trends. The length of time the worker is employed is not a consideration for exclusion.
An employer subject to the Workers’ Compensation Act who operates in the province for less than five days during the year need not register with the WHSCC. However, if any of that employer’s workers suffer a workplace accident during that time, a claim may be accepted and any assessments and costs charged to the employer.
Also note that although workers outside the province may have coverage, employers are not automatically immune from litigation outside of the province. Only employers who also register in the destination jurisdiction gain that immunity.
If you have a question for Ask us! please forward to stearsb@whscc.nb.ca.
Recent Accident Reports
Date of Accident: |
March 19, 2007 |
Injury Type: |
Bruises |
Hospitalized: |
No |
Industry: |
Bridge Maintenance / Supervisor |
Location: |
Northeast |
Notes: |
Injured worker fell 2.5 m through an opening, while setting up for bridge maintenance work.
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More accident reports...
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