WorkSafe, & Liability of Companies/Supervisors

[Scooter]

Here's an article which is an excellent albeit grim reminder of the responsibility for companies and supervisors to ensure due diligence with the training of employees, and even more so, to be aware of the extra efforts required for the training of persons considered to be "young employees."

It's also important to point out that anyone who acts as a supervisor to other employees can be held partially responsible for accidents involving employees under their supervision, even if their title is not "supervisor." For example, a foreman is considered to be a supervisor of an employee on their crew, and could be held legally accountable for any accidents involving those employees. In some very limited circumstances, another planter could even be considered to be a supervisor.

I believe that Jordan Tesluk will be able to contribute some great comments about the scope of risks which make it important for even people who are "just a crew boss" to understand what workplace responsibilities they hold.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/cha ... -1.4128558

[jdtesluk]

Wow. That's a heavy situation, and some potentially "serious" charges. However, I will point out that charges under an OHS Act are not nearly as serious as a supervisor may face under the Criminal Code...and it is possible for a supervisor to be charged criminally for similar types of situations.

It is one thing to point at the heavy legal repercussions, although I sometimes question the value of fear as a motivator. Still, many employers fall woefully short in explaining to supervisor (AKA forepersons) the legal weight of responsibility on their shoulders.

Points that rang out here. Orientations and competency assessments....central to the article....and relevant to planting and silviculture for sure. These are serious business. As forepersons, you need to make sure you actually fill these documents out in detail. As managers, you need to do the same thing for your forepersons. I would suggest that the checking of supervisors by management is probably a bigger point of concern in silviculture than checking of workers by supervisors.....except in cases where supervisors have workers on their crew with driving duties. In both cases, watching people drive, doing written assessments of those activities, giving people feedback, and correcting them when they require correction, are critically important in our industry. Some one may have a license, but if you have not ensured they are competent to drive bush roads, and you put them behind the wheel on a logging road and there is a problem, you have failed them and may face the music.

Immediate tips for forepersons....you should have some sort of documentation of your review of your crew members (individually) from the first day or two of work that shows you have observed them at work, and verified their competence in their tasks. If your company does not provide you a document for this purpose, keep a notebook. Second, you should have records that verify you have monitored workers regularly and checked on their well-being. Plot books work well for this, but some folks seem to omit names of people they check.

Perhaps the MOST important lesson for all staff here........If you are asked to do a job, and you have not been trained properly to do it, STOP. Ask that you receive that training, and that the company shares with you their formal written guidelines for the job.


Bloody hell. 19 years old and dead. Could have been a planter.