Reference no: EM133157949

Course: Employee Health and Safety.

Link of the article: https://globalnews.ca/news/7592600/man-dead-construction-site-mississauga/

Introduction: 

The average number of deaths that occur at Ontario construction sites hovers at around 20 per year. Serious injuries among construction workers have also been on the rise-in the 2014 fiscal year, the number of injuries was 231. In 2019, it increased to 357. (Nikki Johnson-Bolden Dec 16, 2. n.d.).

On the 21st of January 2021, an accident resulting in a fatality occurred in Mississauga. Just before 5:45 pm emergency crews were called to the area of Cawthra Road and Hyacinthe Boulevard. A man in his 30s, was killed while working in the shaft of a tunnel approx 21 metres down, employed by Technicore Underground Inc. Peel paramedics said a construction worker was crushed by an equipment. Three other workers were able to exit with no physical injuries. 

According to the Region of Peel website notes, there is underground work being done. Sanitary sewers are being installed in the area, which is a part of the region's multi-phased project to reduce basement flooding. No other staff or crew were harmed in the incident. The Ministry of Labour is still investigating the accident.

One of the most physically demanding and hazardous industries is construction. The workers are required to use all the power equipment and tools manually. This is very dangerous as sometimes they have to work on heights in extreme weather conditions as well. They are consistently exposed to noise and electricity which could be extremely dangerous if not taken care of. Everyone should try to adhere to maximum safety rules and regulations. Serious injuries and deaths can occur when dangerous energy sources are not adequately regulated. According to the legislation, the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario requires employer o take all reasonable precautions to safeguard workers in all circumstances. Employers and supervisors need to know their duties and responsibilities to safeguard the workers. Employers should provide proper training and knowledge to the workers. (Westoll, N. 2021, January 22).

Question: What areas of HRM and/ or HR policies are relevant or impacted by this accident?  For example, is there a policy and /or procedure that could have prevented the accident.

Please discuss your findings