Safety Reporter
Canadian
www.safety-reporter.com
October 2018
Bus driver told to take a seat
after seat safety complaints
Employee still refused to operate two vehicles after driver's seats replaced and modified
BY JEFFREY R. SMITH
A MANITOBA employee has
come up short in his complaint
alleging that his former em-
ployer fired him as a reprisal for
safety concerns he raised regard-
ing the seats of vehicles he was
required to drive for long peri-
ods of time that he felt were too
cramped.
Brandon Bus Lines (BBL) op-
erates a fleet of passenger buses
for special event tours and char-
ters out of Brandon, Man. BBL's
fleet consists of 11 different ve-
hicles such as highway coaches,
a passenger van, and a converted
school bus.
One BBL employee who start-
ed in September 2017 was tall
— six-feet-three-inches, taller
Firefighter loses lawsuit fight
over work-related condition
Worker contracted eye infection when cleaning
out training tower; claimed bad faith by
employer when he tried to refuse the task
BY JEFFREY R. SMITH
A NEW BRUNSWICK firefighter who was exposed to a serious in-
fection while on the job has lost his appeal for a lawsuit seeking li-
ability for damages against his employer separate from his workers'
compensation entitlement.
Douglas Coffin was a firefighter with the City of Fredericton, N.B.
fire department. In the spring of 2010, the fire department decided
to start using a training tower at one of the fire stations which had
not been used over the winter.
MASK REQUIREMENT NOT REASONABLE
MODIFIED DUTIES FOR NURSE
Bleach caused respiratory problems for nurse,
but she refused modified duties that required
her to wear a mask all the time pg. 5
WORKER GIVES LOW EFFORT
IN ASSESSMENT, BUT FULL
EFFORT IN BENEFITS APPEAL
Worker loses benefits for lack of
effort in functional assessment, wins
appeal for another hearing pg. 3
WORKER DENIED WORKERS'
COMPENSATION BENEFITS
AFTER SURGERY
Occasional heavy lifting on the job and
no identifiable accident excludes worker
from eligibility for benefits pg. 6
INSIDE
NEWS BRIEF
Employee > pg. 4
Credit:
Shutterstock/alexfan32
Infection > pg. 2
PM
#40065782
STRONGER RAIL CARS
BEFORE 2025: OFFICIAL
MONTREAL (Reuters) — Canada
ought to require stronger tank cars
for transporting flammable liquids
sooner than the current deadline
in 2025, Transportation Safety
Board Chair Kathy Fox said, noting
that crude-by-rail shipments are
expected to rise in the country.
"We understand that it can't hap-
pen all at once. But we'd like to see
it sooner," Fox said in an interview.
"We do have an ongoing concern
that flammable liquids be trans-
ported in the most robust tank cars."
Canada and the U.S. have in-
troduced new requirements for
transporting flammable liquids,
after a 2013 runaway train explo-
sion carrying crude killed 47 in Lac
Megantic, Que.
Older cars have been replaced
in Canada, but these must be
phased out or retrofitted with
thicker steel by May 1, 2025, for
the transport of flammable liquids.
Recommendations have led to
improved oversight and standards
for tank cars, Fox said. But she re-
mains concerned over a recent rise
in uncontrolled train movements
that could be prevented with bet-
ter training, less reliance on air or
hand brakes and improved physi-
cal defenses.