Nova Scotia’s workplace safety inspectors are on a province-wide blitz this month, enforcing fall protection procedures and ensuring equipment is in place at construction sites.
The month-long focus on fall protection comes one week after 46-year-old Joseph Isnor was sentenced to jail for failing to enforce fall protection rules on construction sites where he and a crew were operating.
READ MORE: First ever jail sentence handed to NS repeat workplace safety offender
The 15-day jail sentence marks the first time that someone in Nova Scotia has been sentenced to prison time under the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Isnor was sentenced for three separate sets of charges, for each set he faces five days of jail time to be served consecutively on weekends.
The news on Thursday of Isnor’s jail sentence came on the same day as news of a fatal workplace acccident in Bedford. Officials are still investigating the circumstances around the man’s death.
Four tips to make sure the contractor you hire is following workplace safety rules*
- Check the labour department’s workplace safety convictions list to see if the person or company you’re hiring has been convicted. The current list is available here. It is updated regularly and the latest edition of it can be found further down on this webpage.
- Ensure the contractor has Workers Compensation Board insurance
- Ask whether all employees have fall protection training
- Ask whether all employees have access to fall protection equipment
*Tips from Scott Nauss, senior director of inspection and compliance with the labour department’s occupational health and safety team.
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