Safety Reporter
Canadian
www.safety-reporter.com
April 2017
WORKER ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION
FOR EFFECTS OF ACCIDENT CAUSED
BY PRE-EXISTING CONDITION
Truck driver denied workers' compensation benefits
for seizure, but allowed for injuries pg. 7
EMPLOYER WINS
PARTIAL RELIEF FOR WORKER'S
WORKPLACE INJURY pg. 3
Degenerative condition in worker's
knee didn't contribute accident,
but delayed recovery
HUSBAND-AND-WIFE TEAM
BOTH DISCRIMINATED
AGAINST BY EMPLOYER
Wife discriminated against because of
disability, husband fired because of wife's
workers' compensation claim
pg. 6
INSIDE
To track or not to track?
GPS technology is becoming more and more accessible and affordable,
but do the benefits outweigh the need for employee privacy?
BY MELISSA CAMPEAU
IMAGINE A LONE snow-re-
moval worker out on a high-
way in a remote location in the
middle of a blizzard. It's 2 a.m.,
the truck hits a patch of ice, and
there's a crash.
A decade ago, that scenario
would have been much more
alarming. Now, with the prolif-
eration of affordable GPS track-
ing devices, odds are that work-
er's employer could immediately
and accurately pinpoint him and
his vehicle, and send for help
right away.
Knowing where employees
are at all times is appealing to
many employers; in many cases,
there are clear safety upsides.
Several high-profile legal cases
Gradual-onset injury not
related to job with lifting
Worker's injuries worsened
and changed after taking time off
BY JEFFREY R. SMITH
THE ONTARIO Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
has dismissed the appeal of a worker suffering from pain in her back,
neck, and shoulder for a lack of evidence the symptoms were related
to her job that included a significant amount of repetitive lifting over
several years.
The 55-year-old worker was hired by a clothing manufacturing
NEWS BRIEF
ADULTS NEED
TO BE PROTECTED
FROM LEAD TOO
By Alexandria Bachert (Reuters)
— California's public health
agency found that more than
6,000 California workers have
elevated levels of lead in their
blood which could lead to serious
health problems, according to
KaiserHealth News.
Nearly 60 per cent of workers
with higher exposures — above 10
micrograms per deciliter of blood
— worked in manufacturing for
companies that produce batteries,
aircraft and aircraft parts, ships,
plumbing and pipefitting fixtures,
and metal valves.
Workers with the highest blood
lead levels — 40 micrograms or
more per deciliter — primarily
worked at shooting ranges or in
ammunition manufacturing, gun
repair, and firearm instruction,
followed by painting and
construction.
"It doesn't surprise me. This is a
huge problem," said Doug Parker,
executive director of Worksafe, a
worker health and safety advocacy
organization based in Oakland.
"Clearly, there haven't been ad-
equate actions taken""by some
employers, he said.
Purpose > pg. 4
Credit:
Shutterstock/Rawpixel.com
Doctor's > pg. 2
PM
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